A Challenge of Champions
by Firehawk242
Summary: How strong is one person? These heroes have the hopes of so many riding on their shoulders. What happens when they are stolen from their worlds? Can they come together to conquer their enemies and get back home? Crossover madness. Winx meets Huntik meets PJ&O meets Inheritance meets Graceling meets Final Fantasy meets Avatar meets Legend of Zelda. Rated T for violence. ON HIATUS.
1. A Rude Awakening

**I own nothing! You hear me you copyright Nazis? I own NOTHING! HAHAHA! Wait, crap, I own nothing. Oh well. Please enjoy. This is my first story, so please review. All reviews will be accepted, but if you hate it please at least tell me why you hate it. Random flames are not particularly useful.**

Katsa lay in the storekeeper's bed, listening to the soft breathing of the sleeping girl beside her. Bitterblue, King Leck's daughter. They had escaped Leck's soldiers for now, but the princess would not be safe from her father until they reached the island kingdom of Lienid where her uncle Ror ruled. But for now they were safe, for no one but Katsa could have crossed Grella's Pass, let alone do so in winter. She could barely believe they had survived, even with her Grace, but they had, and tomorrow they would start to make their way to the ports of Sunder, where they would find a ship to take them to Lienid. Po had assured her that his ring would convince any Lienid to help them. Katsa hoped he was right. With that final thought she willed herself to sleep. When she awoke she was in a completely different place.

She panicked. How did she wind up on this dry and barren plain? Where was she? Had someone moved her? Why hadn't her Grace woken her? Was this all a dream? No, she knew this was no dream. She got up and looked around. At first she saw nothing, but then she spied a figure in the distance. Desperate to figure out where she was and what had happened she sprinted towards it.

The figure proved to be a man clad in black armor, carrying an equally black sword and shield. His face was hidden by his helm, and the various spikes sticking off of the armor did nothing to reassure her. He looked at her, his icy blue eyes meeting her mismatched green and blue through his visor, and a chill went through Katsa. This man was not her friend. He raised his sword as she leapt away from him, pulling out her dagger as she did. She instantly went on the offensive, stabbing with a strength few could match and a speed that none could even rival. Her dagger should have pierced his armor and his arm beneath it. Instead she was shocked when he simply stepped away from the attack. He brought his sword down in an arc forcing her to dance backwards. Despite her inhuman speed he still managed to slice into her forearm. Blood flowed from the wound, as Katsa stared in shock. Who was this man?

She transferred her dagger to her left hand while the man simply stood there watching, as if he didn't even consider her a threat. The cold look in his eyes sent shivers of fear through Katsa. Never before had she fought an opponent who could outmatch her. Po was the most skilled opponent she'd ever faced, but even he was no match for her. Who was this man? She went back on the offensive, striking with dagger and feet. The man calmly raised his shield to intercept her dagger as he stepped around her kick. His sword flashed again and Katsa tumbled away from him with blood sheeting from both of her arms now.

The situation did not look good. He had injured her twice without any apparent effort while she had been unable to land a single blow. She steeled herself and prepared to attack again. This time she would not hold back. She knew just how powerful she was, and none could match her. She prepared to launch herself again, but suddenly a new combatant entered the fray. He wore outlandish green clothes with a bizarre green hat. His sword glowed slightly in his left hand while he held a shield in his right. Katsa could only stare as he charged in and with a flying leap brought his sword down upon the black figure's shield. She watched the two struggle against each other, the man in green clearly outmatched, but kept alive by his shield. Suddenly he leapt backwards, grabbed her by the waist and pulled out a sphere with a burning fuse. He threw it at the man in black just before it exploded in a huge cloud of smoke. He then turned and ran, carrying Katsa over his shoulder.


	2. The Warrior in White

**A/N: I still own nothing! Take that you copyright Nazis! I OWN NOTHING! At least, not until my OC is introduced. Then I'll own something, but for now I OWN NOTHING!**

**Katsa Biography:**

**Katsa of the Middluns is 18 years old. Her eyes, one blue, one green, indicate that she is Graced. A person with a Grace possess an extreme talent. Many Graces are benign, or even completely useless, such as the grace of walking on one's hands. Katsa's Grace announced itself at the age of eight, when, feeling threatened by her lecherous cousin, she struck his face, accidentally killing him. From then on it was believed that her Grace was Killing. It wasn't until recently that her lover, Prince Po of Lienid, helped her discover that her true Grace was Survival. With her enhanced senses, heightened physical prowess, and extreme resilience Katsa can survive and thrive in all but the harshest environments, and in her world her skill in combat is unmatched. Even those Graced with Fighting cannot defeat her. In short, she is quite literally a deadly force of nature.**

Katsa was in shock. Never before had she been outclassed as she had been by the man in black armor. He hadn't simply defeated her, he had humiliated her. His complete lack of effort had shaken Katsa to the core. Never before had she faced an opponent who could _toy _with her. It had been _years _since anyone had been able to defeat her in any sort of combat, and the speed and precision with which this man had turned her best efforts into shameful defeat was chilling. Katsa could not even spare a thought for the strangely garbed man who had rescued her and was now carrying her away from that deadly foe.

The man in green carried her to a canyon from which a small stream flowed. The rocky walls stretched high above their heads as he set her down by the banks of the stream. She had recovered enough to speak, and in a quiet voice she asked "Who are you?"

"Link," the man answered in a voice that was gentle, but rusty, as though its owner seldom used it.

Suddenly Katsa felt her anger rising as it always did to replace her fear. "Well then, Link, perhaps you'd like to tell me what is going on? Who was that man? Why did you help me? WHERE AM I?" she demanded, her voice rising until she was all but screaming. She was stunned when not only did he not reply, but he did not even react to her outburst. He simply stared at her. Then, as if nothing had happened, he removed a small vial of red liquid from a pouch at his waist and uncorked it. He took hold of her left arm and spilled a tiny drop of the liquid onto the wound there. Katsa could only gaze in wonder as the cut began to close while Link repeated the process with her other arm.

Katsa's wounds tended to, he stood and began to gather the nearby driftwood for a fire. Realizing that she would get no more out of him, Katsa set about helping him with his task.

Soon there was a small, lively fire burning with a number of fish cooking over it. Link had been perplexed by Katsa's fishing technique as she simply stood in the stream and grabbed the fish as they swam past. Now however, with the fire dying and the fish eaten, they lay staring at each other across the glowing embers. Katsa watched as an unknown pain suddenly took Link. A lone tear trickled down his face as he whispered so softly that even she had a hard time hearing it "Zelda."

* * *

The day dawned bright and early as Katsa and Link both awoke. Without a word they set about cleaning up their campsite before setting off. Katsa had decided that she would follow Link for the time being, seeing as how she had no idea where she was or how to get home. Link seemed very much at home exploring the unknown land, carrying all sorts of curious tools with which he navigated the unfamiliar terrain.

He had chosen to climb the canyon walls, at the top of which they found a dense forest. As their trek continued she could not discern any true destination save that they were always heading uphill. She realized that he was seeking a vantage point from which he could survey the area, which seemed as good a plan as any.

Their upward climb led them out of the forest into a cluster of hills. As they topped a rise they saw battle underway.

A man in white armor bearing a gleaming blade in one hand and a brilliant shield in the other stood facing two figures covered in black cloaks carrying vicious looking blades. The man in white fought bravely and with great skill, but his opponents were inhumanly fast. They were almost as fast as Katsa, and they wielded their deadly blades with grim efficiency. Katsa would have avoided the whole situation, but Link dove straight in, sword flashing. Katsa sighed and charged after him.

Up close the cloaked figures proved to be oddly deformed, their black beaks and faces appearing almost insect-like. She shuddered at the thought of what the rest of these horrors' bodies must look like. With the arrival of Katsa and Link the tide began to turn as, step by step, the two creatures were forced to retreat. Spotting an opening, Katsa charged forward, only to be paralyzed by an overwhelming fear which turned her limbs to jelly. She looked into the faces of the two creatures and knew her death was at hand. Suddenly the man stood before her, his armor seeming to glow as he defended her from the creatures' blades. The foul entities recoiled from the light he gave off and turned to flee. As they did so the shorter one grabbed a dagger from its cloak and cast it at Katsa. She could not dodge, she could not even move, the paralysis held her motionless as the dagger flew towards her. Then, much to her surprise, a silver arrow struck the dagger, knocking it aside, and it landed in the dirt beside her.

Breaking out of the stupor that had afflicted her she turned to find the source of the arrow, but she saw nothing, just a small copse of trees. Shaking her head in confusion, she stood and looked at the man they had just rescued. He wore no helmet, and his silver hair flowed freely down to his shoulders. His blue eyes held a warmth and comfort so unlike those of the man in the black armor. "My name is Cecil," he said, "and I owe you my thanks."

**A/N: So now we have two mysteries. Who was that man in black armor, and who shot that arrow that saved Katsa's life?**


	3. Revelations and Plans

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing! Not even the man in the black armor! Expect at least five or six more chapters before I own anything, and even then I won't own much. Sigh. **

**Link Biography: **

**If you don't know who Link is then you've been living under a rock under another rock under a boulder for the last thirty years. Even so, I will include some data on Link. He's a multi-incarnate hero, always saving a princess named Zelda (also multi-incarnate) from Ganondorf, the Pig Lord of Darkness. Each of the three of them possess one third of the Triforce, the key to ultimate power. Link's third is the Triforce of courage, granting him abilities beyond those of a normal human. He wields a magical blade known as the Master sword, which has all sorts of powers that I'm not going to go into here. He also uses the Hylian shield, an indestructible defensive barrier. His pockets clearly extend into another dimension, seeing as how he can carry a boomerang, a slingshot, a bow, bombs, hammers, a shovel, numerous musical instruments, a net, various magic rods and staffs, a telescope, a giant leaf, a "gust jar" and "gust bellows", digging gloves, an hourglass, a fishing rod, a whip, a remote controlled flying beetle, a parachute, a hovering beyblade (I'm not even kidding), a gigantic metal ball with an attached chain, three different sets of boots, and of course the famous hookshot. Basically he's a walking swiss army knife.**

**Cecil Biography:**

**Cecil was an orphan taken in by the king of Baron who raised him as his own. He grew up with his best friend and rival Kain, and Rosa who would one day be his love. At the urging of his king Cecil took up the mantle of the dark knight, commanding Baron's fleet of airships known as the Red Wings. Cecil's conscience forced him into rebellion against Baron when the king used him without his knowledge to annihilate the summoners of Mist, but not before Cecil had stolen the water crystal of Mysidia for the king. Cecil then set about opposing Baron, collecting friends and allies as he went. Eventually a shipwreck brought him back to Mysidia where he was offered the chance to break from his dark past. He ascended the appropriately named Mount Ordeals, atop which he fought and killed the elemental archfiend Scarmiglione, with help of course, before becoming a Paladin and facing his dark self in a duel. Cecil along with his friends slew all three of the remaining archfiends, stopped the doomsday weapon known as the giant of Babil, and broke the mind control on Cecil's older brother Golbez, who had been the main antagonist. Along the way he discovered that he was only half human, his father being a Lunarian from the moon. Cecil is a superb fighter who always puts his teammates first, even taking blows intended for them. He is courageous and charismatic, as well as impeccably loyal and honorable. He augments his already impressive combat skills with a limited command of white magic, allowing him to heal and protect other members of the party. Overall Cecil is a powerful warrior and an excellent team player.**

Cecil was not having a good day. The day began when he, Rosa, Rydia, and Edge traveled to the moon in the Lunar Whale. He was willing to admit that had been pretty exciting. But, when they arrived the place felt eerily familiar to him. Then they had met the Lunarian FuSoYa, who revealed that not only was Cecil half Lunarian but he was also FuSoYa's nephew. Then it was revealed that Golbez, who they had believed to be the mastermind behind the theft of the crystals, was actually a pawn of a Lunarian named Zemus who planned to use the crystals to activate the doomsday weapon known as the Giant of Babil. The party, with FuSoYa in tow, returned to Earth just in time to see the Giant wake. Using the airship _Enterprise_ they landed in the Giant's mouth, fought their way through the inside of the giant, slaying the four resurrected elemental archfiends in the process, and then destroyed the surprisingly deadly Central Processing Unit that controlled the Giant. Then, when Golbez appeared FuSoYa broke the mind control on Golbez revealing him to be Cecil's older brother. The two left to put an end to Zemus, and Kain, now free of Golbez's, or was it Zemus's, control, led them out of the Giant. The revelations had come thick and fast, as had the battles, and Cecil felt worn out.

The party, now with Kain among their ranks, convened a meeting aboard the Lunar Whale, where it was decided that they too would go after Zemus. They arrived at the moon and were about to disembark when the universe _shifted_ around Cecil. When the disorientation cleared he found himself in a low meadow with two foul creatures before him. Before he could even process what had happened, they attacked. They moved faster than any human could, and they had almost overwhelmed him when suddenly two more warriors entered the struggle. One was a man in green wielding a sword and shield, while the other was a young woman in worn travelling clothes who fought with nothing but a dagger. Together the three of them had repelled the foul creatures and now he stared at the young lady who had assisted him.

"My name is Cecil," he said, "and I owe you my thanks."

"My name is Katsa," she said, "and the quiet one is Link."

"Thank you, Link and Katsa," he said, nodding to each in turn. Link said nothing, simply sheathed his sword and placed his shield on his back. Confused by this, Cecil turned to Katsa and asked "Is he always like this?"

"Yes. I've only ever heard him say two words, and one of them was his name."

"What was the other one?"

"That is his secret, and I will not share it."

"Very well," Cecil said. "If I may ask, how did you end up in this world?"

Katsa looked at him in astonishment. "This _world_? You mean you don't come from this world?"

"I have been all over my own world, and I tell you now, this is not my home."

She looked away from him, attempting to process this. She swore under her breath as she worked her way through the ramifications of this development.

Cecil would not have bothered her thoughts, but time was of the essence. Even now Golbez and FuSoYa could be fighting Zemus. "I'm sorry, but I must ask again, how did you come to be in this world?"

"I went to sleep in my world and woke up here." She said. "Then I fought a man in black armor. I would have been killed had Link not stepped in. How did you come to be here?"

"I don't know. One moment I'm in my world, the next I'm here fighting those two creatures."

"What do we do now?"

"I'm not sure. There must be a reason we were brought here. For now we should stick together, at least until we figure out why we are here. We'll be safer in a group."

"Fair enough, but where should we go? I've been following Link here, but I don't think he knows where we ought to go either."

"I do not know, but I do know that there must be a way for us to get back to our homes. If we can get here from our homes then we can find our way back."

Both Katsa and Cecil were surprised when Link spoke up. "Others."

"Others? What does that mean?" Asked Katsa. She was stunned that Link had spoken.

"Others..." Cecil mused, "Perhaps we weren't the only ones who were taken from our worlds and brought here."

"If that's the case then perhaps we should find them. Maybe one of them knows how to get out of here!"

"It's worth a shot, and even if they don't we could still use their help in this hostile land."

"Perhaps we should start with whoever fired the arrow that saved my life."

"Arrow?"

"A silver arrow. It struck the dagger that creature threw at me, stopping it from killing me."

"I saw no arrow."

"It's right...where is it?" The silver arrow had disappeared without a trace. "That's odd. I could have sworn there was an arrow."

"Arrow or not, we should get moving before anything else comes along."

"Alright, let me grab that dagger and we can go." Katsa tucked the dagger the creature had thrown into her belt alongside her own dagger.

The three warriors set off in the direction of the forest as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Upon arrival they set about making a camp. Katsa was stunned when Cecil, fearing an attack in the night, began to establish a series of magical barriers to protect them. "What, have you never seen magic before?"

"No, it doesn't exist where I come from."

"Oh. Well, let me explain. There are two main types of magic, white and black. As a Paladin I can use a limited amount of white magic. This allows me to heal and protect both myself and others. Black magic is more aggressive, consisting of elemental attack spells and various curses."

"Okay," she said, recoiling slightly.

"Is something the matter?"

"I don't like things I can neither fight nor understand."

"Ah, my apologies. May I ask, how are you so fast?"

"You mean you can't tell?"

"No."

"My eyes are different colors."

"And this means?"

Katsa blinked, surprised at his failure to comprehend what she was telling him. "It means I have a Grace."

"And what is a Grace?"

"A Grace is an extreme talent. For example one might be Graced with the ability to jump long distances. My Grace is that of Survival. It means I can fight better than anyone else in my world, even those Graced with Fighting, I have keener senses than anyone else, and I can survive in the wilderness with ease."

"All very useful talents. I see you fight with a dagger, are you skilled in other weapons?"

"There are very few weapons I am not an expert with, and most of those are thoroughly impractical for someone like me to use."

"I see. We had better get some rest, for who knows what tomorrow will bring."

**A/N: So now they know what's happening, and now they have a plan. Still, questions remain. What happened to that arrow? Who shot it? Why am I asking questions I already know the answers to? All will be revealed in time. Also, to anyone who doesn't like that I used Cecil instead of Cloud, I have only this to say: Cloud is annoying. I like Cecil and I admire him. Cloud just gets on my nerves, and so he will not be featured in this story. **


	4. Fire in the Sky

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing. Maybe I own the world they're in, but that's it. Speaking of which, does this world have a name? I have one in mind, but I don't really like it. I'm open to suggestions people. If you have an idea for a name for this world put in a review. Maybe I'll use it.**

**No Biographies? Oh frabjous day!**

When Cecil awoke Katsa was already up making breakfast. She clearly was an adept hunter, judging by the brace of ducks cooking over the fire. Cecil groaned as he sat up, the events of yesterday still taking their toll on him. He went to a nearby creek to wash up and when he returned he found Katsa and Link sitting at the fire eating breakfast. He joined them and for a time they said nothing, simply enjoying the food.

When all three had eaten their fill Katsa spoke. "So, what's our next move?"

"We know we were each taken from our respective worlds, and that we need to get back to them. However, there must be a reason we were brought here. There may also be others like us, and if there are we should find them. They may need our help and we could certainly use theirs. Furthermore, one of them may know how we can get home. Our mission is to find these people and convince them to join us. There is nothing beyond the power of a good team."

"All right, so that's our goal. Now how do we go about doing it?"

"Fire."

Cecil and Katsa turned to Link. He didn't say much, but when he did it payed to listen. He was pointing to the sky over the other side of the canyon. The air was filled with fire, some of it red, some of it a frightening shade of blue.

"Well I guess that answers that question," said Katsa as she rose to her feet, "but how are we going to get there?"

"I can get us there. Both of you come here."

Katsa and Link moved in close to Cecil who began chanting softly. A shiver ran down Katsa's neck as she realized he was casting a spell. She would never be comfortable with magic.

"Teleport!" Cecil suddenly exclaimed, and the trio was surrounded by light. When the light cleared they were on the opposite edge of the canyon. This side of the canyon was dominated by a swamp. Katsa, with her eagle-like eyes spotted their quarry, a winged girl flinging beams of fiery energy at a young woman who was throwing blue fire around with gleeful abandon.

"I see them!" She shouted, and the three warriors set off in the direction of the fight. Their arrival went completely unnoticed as the two fire wielding fighters were completely focused on each other.

"We're here, now which one do we help?"

"I don't know." Cecil sighed. Why couldn't it be obvious?

Suddenly the winged girl made a mistake and a sheet of blue fire slammed into her. She fell from the sky as her opponent closed in on her with lethal intent. Cecil made a snap decision that he hoped he wouldn't regret. "Help the girl with the wings. I'll try to stop the other one from killing her."

Katsa and Link nodded as they dashed towards the downed girl. Cecil charged to intercept the blue fire wielding girl before she could reach her enemy.

He dived in between the two girls, barely bringing his shield up in time to block a ball of blue fire rocketing towards the injured girl.

"Stop!" He commanded.

The girl looked at him as if he were some sort of mildly interesting insect. "You can't stop me." She said in a silky voice. "I am Prince Azula of the Fire Nation. I take orders from no one. And now I am going to finish that silly girl."

Cecil felt a sense of dread slither down his spine. The sheer confidence and poise this woman radiated was intimidating, and he suspected she had the skill to back it up. This fight would push his ability to its limit.

Katsa and Link reached the unconscious girl and pulled her out of the muck. At some point her wings had disappeared and her clothes had changed, but Katsa had other things to worry about. She quickly checked the girl's pulse and breathing before examining the terrible burn that covered her lower torso. Katsa had never seen a burn of this severity and size before, and it seemed likely to prove fatal. No! She couldn't let this girl die!

Suddenly she felt herself being pushed aside by Link. He wordlessly pulled out that vial of red liquid and poured it over the burn. Katsa watched as the burn slowly faded leaving behind clean unmarked skin.

Her attention was drawn from the girl's recovery when Cecil went sailing over her head. He crashed into the mud with a muffled thud. Katsa looked back to see the fire throwing girl running towards them, blue daggers of flame extending from her hands. Katsa and Link turned to face the woman. Suddenly Link pressed a bow and quiver into her hands. Where had that come from? There would be time to figure that out later, right now they needed to stop this crazy woman.

Katsa readied an arrow as Link charged to meet this woman. His shield absorbed her fire as he closed the distance. Katsa watched carefully, waiting for the ideal moment to shoot. Suddenly the air was filled with Cecil's battle cry as he charged back into the fight. Working together as a team the two swordsmen fended off the woman's attacks. Until she changed tactics and fired a blast of lightning at Cecil. Surprised, the noble paladin barely managed to dodge. Now the two warriors were on the defensive, dodging Azula's lightning bolts. Then Katsa saw her opening. Her arrow pierced the princess's left hand, and, with a howl of rage and pain, Azula fled.

"Well that could have gone better." Remarked Katsa as the three regrouped. She handed Link back his bow and arrows, then was mystified when he stuffed them into his belt pouch. How did that even work?

"I know. Let's go help that girl."

They found the girl still unconscious, so Cecil teleported the four of them back to their camp from the night before. They took turns keeping an eye on the girl while they prepared the camp for nightfall.

* * *

"I think she's waking up." Said Katsa. Cecil and Link walked over to where Katsa and the girl were sitting.

She slowly opened her eyes as Cecil said "It's okay, you're among friends."

"What happened?"

"You were fighting a woman named Azula, apparently she's the princess of the Fire Nation. You were struck by her fire and crashed into the swamp. My companions and I drove Azula off, and Link here healed you. My name is Cecil, and the lady beside you is Katsa."

"My name is Bloom. Thank you for saving me."

"Not to be rude, but, what _are_ you?" Inquired Katsa.

"I'm a fairy. My friends and I are the Winx Club."

"Fairy?"

"Winx Club?"

"You know, fairy. Magical powers, wings. I am the fairy of the Dragon Flame."

Katsa groaned internally. Not more magic!

Cecil spoke up then "Glad to meet you Bloom. I know you just recovered from a near fatal injury, but I must ask how you came to this world."

Bloom took the concept of this being a different world completely in stride. "I'm not sure. One moment I'm in Tir Na Nog, observing the surrender of the Wizards of the Black Circle, the next I'm fighting this Azula. I've traveled to many dimensions and many planets, but I have no idea where we are, which unfortunately means I can't safely open a portal to get home."

Katsa felt like her head was going to explode. Fairies, wizards, other dimensions, other planets, none of it made any sense to her. She latched on to one thing: Bloom had the power to get them home. She could get back to her world where things made sense! Cecil and Bloom's conversation flowed around her completely unheard as she imagined going home.

**A/N: So, can Bloom get them home? Don't worry, the story's not about to end. At least, not for a while, anyways. But, why are they here to begin with? And don't say it's because I decided they should be! There's a reason they're here, and it's name is- BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Remind me to turn that alarm off. But it does have a point, so I guess I can't tell you yet. Sorry guys.**


	5. Divide and Conquer

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing!**

**Bloom Biography:**

**Bloom was raised on Earth as a normal human by her foster parents Mike and Vanessa. One day shortly after her sixteenth birthday she and her pet rabbit Kiko were in the town park when they came across a fairy fighting an ogre and number of small ghouls. On that day Bloom discovered that she had magical powers and, along with her new fairy friend Stella, attended the prominent Alfea school for fairies. She and Stella along with four other girls formed a group called the Winx Club. The Winx Club has faced and defeated numerous villains over the years. Bloom is now twenty years old and has grown tremendously in both power and confidence. She rescued her birth parents Oritel and Mirian and freed their planet of Domino, of which Bloom is the Princess. She is the Keeper of the Dragon Flame, the most powerful magic force in the universe. Over the years Bloom and her friends have gone through several fairy forms. The first form doesn't really have a name, but is usually referred to as Magic Winx. The second form is really just an add-on to the base form and is known as Charmix. The third fairy form, the form of a Guardian fairy, is known as Enchantix. Bloom's current form is called Believix. Each form is more powerful than the ones that preceded it, and by now Bloom possess incredible power. Bloom is unflinchingly loyal, brave to a fault, and very caring. She's also incredibly stubborn, although whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is open for debate. Over all Bloom is a powerful and dedicated fairy, equally capable of leading a team or following another's instructions. **

Bloom was no stranger to inter-dimensional travel, but her current situation had her stumped. The manner in which she had gotten here was like no magic she had ever seen before. She couldn't figure out where she was, she couldn't even contact the spirit of her sister Daphne. At least she wasn't alone. Cecil seemed like a good person, brave, noble, and caring. Link, despite his utter lack of speech, also seemed like a decent person. Katsa on the other hand worried Bloom a bit. Sure she was soft spoken and gentle, but she seemed almost terrified of Bloom, yet strangely fascinated. She had played a key part in yesterday's fight against Azula, but Bloom was still wary of her. She would need to unravel the mystery that was Katsa if they were to work together as a team.

Cecil's voice drew her thoughts back to the present. "We've decided to look for others like us, try to bring them together. Our hope is that one of them might be able to help us get home."

"So that's what you were doing when you helped me?"

"Yes. The more allies we can gather to our cause the better our chances of survival in this harsh land."

"That sounds like an excellent plan. Where do we go from here?"

Katsa chimed in then "We don't know. The only reason we found you is because the fire from your fight with Azula was visible from here."

"Oh. Well, perhaps I can use my magic to try and find others."

"It's worth a try," said Cecil as Katsa eased away from bloom ever so slowly.

"Magic Winx: Believix!" Bloom shouted as she transformed into a fairy. Her wings resembled those of a butterfly as she took to the air. "What am I looking for?" She asked.

"Anyone else nearby. They may be in danger. Every single one of us, with the possible exception of Link here, ended up fighting the first thing we encountered here." Replied Cecil.

Bloom focused her energy into a spell that scanned the area. Tecna would have been better at it, in fact this spell was one she had taught Bloom, but Bloom's spell still achieved the desired result. "I found someone!"

"Excellent!" Cried Cecil, "Where are they?"

"Well there's a problem. There's two of them and they're nowhere near each other."

Cecil cursed under his breath, then said "Alright, we need to split up. I can teleport myself and anyone else to wherever we need to go, but I can only be in one place at a time."

"Not a problem. I can teleport too."

"Okay then. Bloom, take Katsa with you and help one of our new friends. Link and I will get the other one." Cecil didn't notice the irritated glances both of them gave him as he grabbed Link and teleported away.

"So, how does this work?" Asked Katsa.

"Winx: Zoomix!" Bloom exclaimed. Her wings changed shape.

"How does that help us?"

Bloom simply grabbed Katsa's hand and teleported. "Does that answer your question?"

* * *

Cecil and Link appeared in a field of boulders. Suddenly a spear made of ice flashed past his ear. He spotted a young woman with long white hair floating above them. Behind him he saw a young man with sword of brilliant blue slice the ice spear out of the air.

Cecil wasn't sure who to help. He kicked himself for not asking Bloom what the person they were helping looked like.

"Oh! More little heroes to freeze!" Exulted the flying woman. Well, that answered that question.

"Brisingr!"

Cecil glanced at the young man then did a double take. His sword was burning with a sapphire hued flame and from it a line of fire shot at the woman.

She cast a quick spell and the fire turned into ice. "Oh please, I've fought the Dragon Fire itself! Your pitiful little flame can't stop me!" Dragon Fire? Had Bloom fought this woman before? Either way, she had to be stopped.

Cecil dashed over to the young man who looked rather shaken at the woman's display. "How did she do that without killing herself? The energy required to turn fire into ice..."

"Figure it out later, for now we need to stop her! My name is Cecil and my companion is Link. We came here to help."

Link pulled out a boomerang and threw it at the flying woman. Cecil was confused by Link's weapon choice, and he did not know where the boomerang had come from, but it was surprisingly effective. It smacked into her head and she plummeted from the air. The boomerang disappeared and Link rushed towards her with sword in hand.

"He's going to need our help. My name is Eragon. Let's go."

The two rushed to Link's aid, swords flashing.

* * *

Katsa was not pleased with her mission. She was not happy to be paired with Bloom, and she was even less happy with what they encountered upon arrival. They were on a large island in the middle of a massive lake. A young man stood there, surrounded by a mob of six-armed monsters. The monsters appeared to be made completely out of dirt, and each one stood over seven feet tall.

At least there was no ambiguity about who they should help.

"Bladecall!" the boy shouted. Suddenly he was holding a sword. In his other hand he held what looked like some sort of necklace. "Let's go Kipperin!" A bizarre green creature erupted from the jewel and formed itself into some sort of winged battle armor around the boy.

Great. More magic. Katsa was really starting to hate this world.

The boy summoned several more creatures to aid him. A giant golden warrior sliced apart the dirt monsters with it's sword while a dragon with four arms, two tails, and no legs rolled around crushing more monsters. Despite all this it looked like he was being overwhelmed. The monsters heavily outnumbered him and his creatures, and they were starting to rally. They threw huge rocks at the golden warrior forcing it to hide behind its shield while a dozen or more grabbed the dragon, overpowering it through sheer weight of numbers.

"We have to help him!" exclaimed Bloom, rising off the ground. The air glowed a reddish orange around her as she sent a blast of fire into the monsters' midst. Half of the six-armed giants turned to face this new threat. Rocks flew at Bloom. She surrounded herself with a red sphere which kept the rocks from hitting her, but she was completely incapable of fighting back.

Unnoticed in the chaos Katsa dashed forward, a dagger in each hand. Moving with inhuman speed and cat-like reflexes she spun through their ranks, slicing the monsters apart.

* * *

Eragon was very confused. Where was he? How did he get here? Where was Saphira? These questions would have to wait. This woman was not going to give him time to figure it out. He glanced to his left where his new ally Cecil ran alongside him. Who was this man? He looked back at their foe and saw her shooting huge spears of ice at Link, who was doing his best to block them with his shield. Despite his obvious skill some of the icicles were getting through. He wouldn't last much longer.

Cecil leapt forward placing himself between link and the ice throwing lunatic, his shield absorbing the punishing barrage. He began to chant softly as he held of the steady stream of ice. "Cura!" He shouted, and Link was surrounded by a gently sparkling lights as his injuries began to fade.

"Letta orya daertya!" Eragon shouted, and the latest round of ice spears froze in midair. "Thrysta!" And the spears flew back at their creator. This caught her completely off guard and one of the icicles crashed into her. She flew backwards and crashed into a boulder. Picking herself up off the ground she turned and fled.

"Well that was unpleasant." Remarked Eragon.

"It could have been worse." Said Cecil.

"Now what?"

"Now we go back to our camp. You're welcome to come with us."

"I think I will. Thank you for your help."

"Not a problem. We came here to help."

"Your timing was excellent. So, where is your camp anyways?"

"Just come here."

Link and Eragon stepped in close to Cecil who began to chant softly. "What are you doing?" Asked Eragon.

"Teleport!" And they were at the camp.

* * *

Bloom looked down at the remains of the monsters. Katsa now stood in the biggest mud puddle she'd ever seen, while the boy hovered nearby. He called back the various creatures he had summoned and then landed before he returned the creature that formed his armor to the gem it came from. Bloom slowly descended, landing near him.

"Hello. Who are you?" She inquired.

"My name is Lok. What is going on here? One minute I'm in Sophie's house planning with Dante, Sophie, Den, and Cherit how to stop Rasimov, the next I'm here surrounded by those mud monsters!"

"We don't know, but we all have had similar experiences. My name is Bloom and this is Katsa. We came to help you."

"Thanks, I don't think I would have made it without your help."

"If you'd like we can take you back to our camp to rest. You look like you could use it."

"Yeah, I guess I do need to rest. Invoking three powerbonded titans is exhausting."

"Titans? Those creatures you were using?"

"Yeah, they come from amulets, like this one." He pulled out a pendant in the shape of a shield. "The titan in this amulet is called Hoplite."

"Okay then. You can explain more when we get back to camp."

"Sounds like a plan."

Katsa, who had been doing her best to ignore the conversation, stepped forward. "What about Cecil and Link?"

"Let's get Lok to camp first. Then we'll worry about the others. Winx: Zoomix!" And with that they teleported.

* * *

Cecil was waiting for them when they arrived. "So, I take it your mission was a success?"

"Yes. This is Lok. Lok, meet Cecil."

"Always glad to have a new team member."

"Thank you." Said Lok.

"What about you? Did you manage to find anyone?" Asked Katsa.

"Yes. In fact, here he is." Link and Eragon stepped out of the forest, each carrying a bunch of firewood. "Lok, Katsa, and Bloom, this is Eragon. The man in green is Link. Eragon, these are Bloom, Katsa, and Lok."

"A pleasure."

"Likewise."

"Good to meet you."

"Nice meeting you."

"Alright, it's time we went over what we know." Cecil said. All six of them gathered around the fire which Link and Eragon had been gathering wood for. "We know that none of us come from this world." Lok's eyes widened while Eragon looked as though he had been clubbed. "We know that we need to get home. I have friends in my world who depend on me."

"As do I," said Eragon.

"So do I," said Bloom.

"I do too," said Katsa.

Link nodded.

"Well I guess that makes six of us," said Lok.

"Our problem is that we don't know where we are or how to get home. Bloom says she has the power to get us there, but she can't do so safely without knowing where we are. Our goal is twofold: First we must figure out where we are. Second we must figure out how we came to be here and why. In the meantime we should continue trying to find more people to join us. The more of us there are the better our chances of survival become."

**A/N: Six people! And two new ones in one chapter! What is going on? Why are all these people here? Where is "here" anyways? And will all this magic send Katsa round the bend? Probably not, but you never know. Bonus points to anyone who can recognize the six-armed mud monsters, and get the name right. That's all for now, see you next chapter.**


	6. The Hunted and the Hunter

**I finally own something! My first OC! That's all I own though. Oh well.**

**Eragon Biography:**

**Eragon Bromson, also known as Eragon Shadeslayer, is the Rider of the Dragon Saphira. As a a Rider Eragon has access to magic, and has telepathic abilities. He is a master of the blade, and his incredible skills have been augmented by his transformation into a half-elf, which raised his physical abilities to inhuman levels. He is much faster and much stronger than any normal human, his senses are much more acute, and even his mental strength increased. His sword is named ****_Brisingr_****, which means Fire in the Ancient Language. Whenever he speaks the sword's name it ignites. It is virtually indestructible, never needs to be sharpened, and can cut through most magic without any difficulty. Eragon possess an uncanny talent for using magic. Magic in his world obeys actual rules: If you want to do something with magic it takes just as much energy as it would to do it normally. Also, magic is affected by distance. The father away the thing you want to affect with magic is, the more energy it takes. Magic is typically accessed through the Ancient Language, which binds the magic to the meaning of the words. Also, while speaking in the Ancient Language it is literally impossible to lie. It is possible to tell half-truths, but flat lies are impossible. Eragon has an impressive ability to utilize the Ancient Language. He is capable of casting complex spells with a minimal number of words, making him a very flexible spell caster. He is also an expert archer, capable of firing thirty arrows in a minute with accuracy. (A typical human is doing ****_very_**** well to get off twelve.) Overall Eragon is a lethal warrior with sword, bow, mind, or spell. He is young, and his inexperience shows, but he is aware of his weaknesses, and does a good job of coping with them.**

**Lok Biography**

**Lok Lambert is the son of Eathon and Sandra Lambert, two prominent Huntik Foundation Seekers. A Seeker is someone who uses Titans, magical creatures which dwell inside Amulets. Amulets typically take the form of some sort of jewelry, pendants being the most common, with rings typically holding the most powerful Titans. In addition to Titans, Seekers can use numerous magical powers. Most seekers learn new powers through long hours of study and practice, but Lok has an impressive ability to learn new powers simply by watching others use them. He is also very good at controlling Titans, mastering wild Titans like Lindorm, and controlling a total of four Legendary Titans at various points, including a Titan which can only be described as God itself. In addition, he is also the first seeker in living memory to have Powerbonded with a Titan. Powerbonded Titans are stronger than normal and possess a telepathic link to their Seeker. Lok's current team of Titans consists of:  
Kipperin, a bizarre flying creature with compound eyes. Lok typically uses Kipperin to allow himself to fly. Kipperin was the first Titan Lok Powerbonded with, and now when her uses it it becomes a full suit of armor.  
Baselaird, Lok's strongest non-legendary. Baselaird is another Powerbonded titan. he is a giant swordsman with an equally large sword and a shield to match.  
Lindorm is a dragon with anger management problems. Lindorm is also Powerbonded to Lok, and is Lok's most destructive Titan. It attacks by rolling around as a spinning wheel.  
Dendras is the most dangerous puppet show on Earth. Able to use its twin dragon marionettes to shoot fire and ice, it can also use them to take control of other Titans.  
Hoplite is a centaur with a sword. Wearing Greek armor, Hoplites are weak individually but they become stronger when working with other Hoplites.  
Iron Squire is a golden robotic warrior who carries a gigantic shield.  
Raijin the Thunderbolt. He's a ninja (samurai?) with electrical powers.  
Springer is Lok's personality made manifest. Inquisitive with a pronounce knack for solving puzzles, this two tailed fox not much of warrior, but is still a valuable member of the team.  
Lok's final Titan is Pendragon, Legendary Titan of Champions. Pendragon's Amulet resides within the Willblade, which Lok uses. Pendragon, as the name suggests, is a HUGE dragon which breathes fire and crushes smaller Titans with its overwhelming strength. Lok has a hard time summoning Pendragon though, so he doesn't see much use.**

**Wow, that was long. Sorry about that. On the other hand I promise I'm only going to do one more biography and it's not going to be very long. Now, on with the story!**

Katsa woke with a sudden feeling of foreboding. She bolted to her feet. She didn't see anything, but something must have woken her. She went to Cecil planning to wake him when she spotted a figure flashing though her peripheral vision. She turned a leapt away just in time to see a small sphere land in the middle of their camp. White smoke poured from the sphere and Katsa's instincts screamed at her to stay away from the gas. She dashed backwards, putting space between her and the strange cloud. She drew her daggers and prepared for the attack.

A figure clad in black silk with copper trim walked out of the smoke cloud. His entire body was covered in his outfit, leaving no clue as to his identity. He held a beautifully made, slightly curved sword. Katsa could tell just by looking that it was as sharp as a razor. This could be a problem, seeing as she only had daggers to face this man with a sword, but it shouldn't be too difficult. Then she saw him move.

He wasn't as fast as her, but he was clearly no normal human. He leap forward bouncing off trees, ricocheting through the forest like some berserk top. Katsa charged forward to meet him, catching his sword on the dagger she held in her left hand. She had intended to use her impressive strength to hold his sword while she slew him with her other dagger, but her hopes were dashed when he proved to be much stronger than she was. She was forced to dance backwards as he broke her grip on her dagger.

Now she was in trouble. This man was a great deal stronger than her, almost as fast as her, he had taken one of her weapons, and her remaining dagger was no match for his deadly sword. Katsa's mind raced as she dodged his swings. Suddenly her foot slid as she set it down on a patch of gravel. Off balance, she was forced to fall in order to avoid the man's next swing.

She glanced around, Looking for something, anything, that could save her. Her fingers closed on a small rock, no bigger than a grape. She threw it at her assailant. It struck him right between his eyes and bounced off with a metallic clang. Now she was terrified. Any human she had done that too would have died, helmet or no. What was this man?

She looked into the eyes of the man, and she knew she'd met her match. The man raised his sword for the final blow. Then a silver arrow pierced the sleeves of his shirt, pinning his arms to a tree. Katsa was astonished, but not so much that she would waste the opportunity. She flashed to her feet, her dagger seeking the man's neck. she felt her dagger slide through his neck with surprising ease as his head separated from his body. There was no blood.

She looked at the man's decapitated body. It was still moving! she looked down the neck of it and was shocked to see gears, wires, and flashing lights.

"He was a mechanical ninja."

Katsa spun around, dagger ready. Before her stood a twelve year old girl carrying a silver bow. The girl calmly walked up to the decapitated body and thrust her knife into it. Sparks flew and the headless body ceased moving.

"Who are you?" Demanded Katsa.

"I'll tell you everything, but first we must help your friends. They've been poisoned."

"How do we cure them?"

The girl grabbed the severed head of the man who'd attacked her. She removed a vial from it. "This should contain the antidote."

"How do you know?"

"Tell you later, for now we need to save your friends."

The girl ran back to the camp, and opened the vial. She poured half of it into Eragon's mouth, then went to Cecil and repeated the process. Katsa would have asked why them, but she didn't expect the girl to answer.

Eragon coughed several times as he came to. The young girl grabbed him and said "I know what you can do. You were poisoned and there was only enough antidote to cure two of you. You and Cecil have the power to save your other friends, but only if you act quickly." Cecil had woken and heard too.

"Let's ask questions later, and act now." He said.

Eragon began to run through a series of spells which were effective against poison, while Cecil began chanting quietly. "Esuna!" he exclaimed.

The poison cleared from their bodies, they began to stir. Soon all six of them were awake, and they were all looking at the girl.

"My name is Bianca di Angelo, Hunter of Artemis."

**A/N: Okay guys, be honest. How many of you saw that one coming? I know the silver arrow was there two chapters back, but I bet most of you were expecting someone else. Why is Bianca here? How does she know so much? Does she know why they are all here? And while we're asking questions, why did I kill off the first character I owned? I must be crazy! **

**Everyone I know: It took you this long to figure that out?  
Me: I know I'm crazy, but my readers don't, so stay out of this. How'd you even get here in the first place? Never mind, just stay out of my A/Ns, okay?**

**Where was I? Oh yeah, I just killed off my OC. But there are more where he (it?) came from, so don't worry.**


	7. Allies and Enemies

**I own nothing! Except the robot ninja. Him I own. Also, the main villain is introduced in this chapter, and I own him too. And the other new characters in this chapter. Maybe I do own something after all. Yay!**

**Last biography, I swear!**

**Bianca Biography:**

**Bianca di Angelo is the half human daughter of the Greek god Hades. Her powers were never really explored in canon, so I'm giving her the same powers her younger brother Nico has. These powers are summoning and controlling the dead, limited control over stone, and a form of teleportation known as shadow travel. Bianca chose to become an immortal Hunter of Artemis, a group of girls who swear off romantic relations to follow the Goddess of the Hunt. The Hunters are excellent archers, aided by the blessings of Artemis. Bianca is a neophyte however, so her skill is not as great as more experienced Hunters. In canon Bianca died when she sacrificed herself to save her friends from a defective fifty foot tall robot. However, this time fate had something else in mind for her...**

"My name is Bianca di Angelo, Hunter of Artemis."

"All right, now start talking. How do you know so much about us, and how did you know the antidote was inside that thing's head?" Katsa demanded, her patience fraying.

"I've been watching you. From the moment Link first set foot in this land, I have been watching you. I saw how he rescued you Katsa. And I was there when the two of you saved Cecil. I was the one who fired the arrow that deflected the dagger. I saw your fight with Azula to save Bloom, and I watched as Cecil and Link fought to defend Eragon. And you must be Lok. As for how I knew the antidote was there, you aren't the only ones I've been watching."

"So you've been following us? How? I teleported both Link and myself into that fight." Cecil asked, puzzled.

"I have my own methods of travelling."

"Why did you do this?" Inquired Bloom. "Why did you decide to watch over us?"

"Because only together do we stand a chance against the evil being who brought us here. We seven are the only ones who can defeat him."

"If we are the only ones who can defeat him, then why did he bring us here in the first place?" Reasoned Eragon.

"Because he wants to destroy us. Each of you is the one person the fate of an entire world hinges upon. I was taken by accident, after my role was complete. My friends are safe, and now I can oppose this man without reservation."

"Does this man have a name?" Asked Lok.

"Yes. Daiertan."

"Wait. If he brought us here to be destroyed, then where did the people we fought come from?"

"You should know the answer to that, Cecil. Daiertan brought them here to fight us."

"Why should we believe a word you say?" Katsa scowled at the girl.

"Because without me you would all be dead right now, and we would not be having this conversation."

"She has a point." Said Eragon.

"Perhaps we should start over. Why don't we all sit down and go over what we've been through. Maybe Bianca can shed some light on past events." suggested Cecil.

* * *

"I can't believe it. The Razac! I killed them!"

"You did, but these two are not the ones you fought. These two are much older, dating back to long before the Riders came to be."

* * *

"Icy? I thought she was imprisoned!"

"She was. Daiertan freed her."

"What about her sisters?"

"He was not able to bring them here."

"Well at least there's _some_ good news."

* * *

They talked for hours, until the rising sun caught their attention.

"Well Bianca, do you know of somewhere we can rest? Is there a town anywhere nearby?" Lok was not a fan of camping.

"Yes. I can take one person with me to the village."

"Village?"

"Riddinesta Village. It's a long way from here, but between Bloom, Cecil, and myself, we should be able to get everyone there."

"Alright. Link, you're with Bianca. Eragon, you go with Bloom. Lok and Katsa, you two are with me."

Bloom transformed into her fairy form, calling out for her Zoomix wings, Cecil began chanting, and Bianca grabbed Link and simply stepped into the shadow of a tree.

* * *

Bloom, Cecil, Katsa, Lok, and Eragon found themselves in the middle of a small, but bustling village. Their arrival however had brought activity to a halt. Bianca and Link stepped out from the shadow of a house to join them.

The people in this town resembled nothing so much as ants. They walked on two legs, but they had four arms each. Their bodies were covered in natural armor, but their faces were human in appearance. One came up to the group.

Bianca bowed to him. "Qyneckstyp. I have returned."

The ant-man sported a long silver beard which served to conceal his mouth. It looked a bit out of place on the chitinous shell of his chest. Other than that he was bald. "Bianca, you are always welcome here. Who are your companions?"

"They are the ones I told you about. They were brought here by Daiertan, but now they shall be his undoing."

"Then we shall welcome them as our guests."

"Thank you Qyneckstyp. This is Cecil, the boy standing next to him is Lok, and on his other side is Katsa. The woman is Bloom, and with her is Eragon. This young man is Link."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. Come, let me show you where you may sleep."

"Thank you Qyneckstyp." Bianca was amazed that Cecil had gotten Qyneckstyp's name right on the first try. It had taken her weeks to get the pronunciation right.

* * *

Qyneckstyp led them past a number of houses until they reached one that was bigger than all the others. The wooden building rose five stories high, and was eighty feet across. The door was easily wide enough for two wagons to pass through without touching. They were led into the massive construct where they found seven bedrooms. They were pleasantly surprised to discover that it also had running water and hot springs under the house were available to bathe in. After they had all cleaned themselves, they returned to the entrance room to find that food had been laid out for them. After living off what Katsa could catch for so long they all took great delight in the excellent fare provided for them.

After the meal had concluded Bianca called everyone together. Eragon sat, meditating, Lok was playing with a puzzle Eragon had given him, Katsa was sharpening her daggers, Bloom was simply watching Eragon for some reason, Cecil was just standing, emitting an air of command, and Link was in a corner, doing nothing.

"Alright, now that everyone's here we can begin. These people are the Xytacyl. They are the last resistance against Daiertan and his forces. So far they have survived because for the most part they live underground. This village is actually just a tiny piece of a huge colony of thousands. They are decent fighters, especially underground, but excellent craftsmen. Katsa, I know you could use some additional weapons. I'm sure Xytacyl would be more than happy to make some for you. They will support us in our fight with Daiertan."

"So, our next move is to attack Daiertan?" Katsa asked.

"No. His forces are too strong for a frontal assault. Remember that ninja who attacked you? He has hundreds of them. He also has the people he summoned to this world to aid him. If we attack him directly we will die."

"So what do we do? If we can't fight him then how can we beat him?" Lok whined, not looking up from the puzzle he was working on. The metal bands continued to defy his best efforts to get them to cooperate with him.

"First should find a way to weaken him," said Cecil, "Bianca, you said these ninjas are machines. If that's the case then he must be producing them somewhere. If we can take out his factory we stop him from getting reinforcements, and we can start to whittle down his forces. Also, perhaps we can ambush his warriors from other worlds. We've defeated every single one of them, and now that we're united we can capture them."

"Good thinking," said Bloom. "But how do we find this factory? I can't detect machines, just living beings."

"Neither can I." Eragon said with his eyes closed. Bloom continued to observe him.

"Maybe the Xytacyl can help us." said Katsa. She was surprisingly comfortable with them, despite their appearance. She could relate to that. It also helped that they didn't use magic. She was sick to death of the stuff!

"Metal." Everyone turned to the corner where Link stood, forgotten until this moment.

"Metal?"

"What does that mean?"

"He can talk?"

"Of course he can! It's probably important or he wouldn't say anything."

Cecil spoke, "Metal. Of course! These machines are made of metal! If Daiertan has an army of these things than he must be using a great deal of metal. His factory may be hidden, but it's a lot harder to conceal a mining operation. If we find one of Daiertan's mines we can follow the metal back to his factory!"

"No one can hide a mine from the Xytacyl. They know the subterranean world better than we know the surface."

Cecil spoke again, "Very good. We have a plan, now let's make it work. Today we prepare, tomorrow we strike!"

**A/N: The enemy is revealed! His army dominates the world! Can seven heroes really defeat this conqueror? Things are starting to get interesting!**

**Pronunciation guide:**

**Daiertan: Die-er-tan**

**Qyneckstyp: Kwi-neck-step**

**Xytacyl: Zai-tack-il**

**My internal self-troll: Why did you make the names so confusing? You're stupid! They should be easy to pronounce! Idiot!**

**Me: You want to do my job? Be my guest. This isn't as easy as it looks you know. **

**Troll: You're still stupid!**

**Me: Technically, you are me, so I guess that does make me sort of stupid.**

**Troll: Yeah! Wait...**

**Me: Just stay in your little corner of my mind. You aren't welcome here. Or anywhere for that matter. Now get lost. I have better things to do than argue with you in front of my readers.**

**Sorry about that. As for the names, I wanted interesting names. Daiertan just seemed right, and I wanted the ant-people's names to reflect the fact that they aren't human, but are, in fact, ants. Sorry if I caused any tongue injuries in the process. **


	8. A Moment of Peace

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx, Huntik, Avatar, Inheritance, Graceling, Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I do own Daiertan, the Xytacyl, and Raddinesta Village. And those freaky robot ninjas. And the world this is taking place in. Actually, I guess I own everything but my heroes and five of my villains. So I own everything in this story except for twelve people? Cool!**

**No more biographies. All my heroes are here and I'm not doing biographies for the villains. Believe me, I'm just as glad to be done with them as you are. They're ****_boring_**** to write. Now, on with the biography-free story!**

"...Today we prepare, tomorrow we strike!"

The meeting was adjourned as each of the seven went their separate ways, preparing for what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Katsa followed Bianca's advice and sought out the weapon smiths of the Xytacyl. If they were going to take on an army she was going to need more than just a pair of daggers.

"Ah, the lady Katsa!" one of the smiths said from his forge, "Qyneckstyp told me to you would be coming. I am Racteyal. What do you need?"

Katsa was surprised by this, but decided not to question it. "I am in need of a sword, not too long, and a bow."

"I have just the thing!" He dove through a door. A great clattering came from within. Katsa winced at the thought of the havoc he must have just caused, but then he emerged, his hair sticking up in odd places and his left eyebrow missing. Katsa swore a silent oath never to go into that room.

"Here, my lady!" He said, holding a sheathed sword out to her.

She took the proffered blade, but there was something strange about the grip. She pulled the sword from it's sheath. Then she understood why the grip looked odd. It was not one sword but two. Both were fine pieces of craftsmanship, but Katsa preferred a single blade. She shook her head. "I don't want two swords. Just one is fine."

For a moment the smith looked nonplussed. Then he realized. Among his people blades were always made in pairs because they had four arms, and typically used two swords and two shields. For these two armed people a single blade was more appropriate. He could not remember ever making a single blade, and he was the greatest smith among the Xytacyl. He thought for a minute. "My lady, we do not use single blades, but for you I will make one."

Katsa watched as he turned to what was obviously his current project. It looked like a sword, but it was much too thick. "Normally I would split this in two, creating two swords, but this time I will make a single blade. It shall be my finest work. You said you needed a bow? Go to the armory, I am sure you can find one there. For now, I must create your sword." Katsa took the hint and left the ant-man to his work, setting off in search of a bow.

* * *

Eragon wandered the streets of Raddinesta, looking for the armory. He needed armor, for his own was still on Saphira's back in his own world. He would need better protection if he was going to survive this war. Fortunately both his sword and bow had come with him, but he also needed a shield. He arrived at the armory and after being told he could have whatever he needed, he began to peruse the warehouse. He immediately noticed a problem. These suits of armor were made with extra arms in mind. Fortunately, being a spell caster means never having to wait for either a tailor or an armorer. He chose a shirt of leather backed chain mail and set about removing the extra sleeves. As he worked he saw Katsa walking by. He waved at her, but when she saw what he was doing she turned away. Not knowing what to make of this he returned to his work.

* * *

Lok wandered the town in awe. Just wait till he got home to tell Sophie about this! Coming across a practice field he decided he should work on his swordsmanship, which was mediocre at best. He summoned the Willblade, and entered the arena.

Link was already there. Eight dazed looking Xytacyl lay around him. He sheathed his sword and helped them up. Then he turned to Lok.

Lok was in awe. Link had taken on eight warriors at once? He wasn't even breathing hard! One of the warriors came up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck boy. You're going to need it."

Wait, need it for what? His question was answered when Link drew his sword again. This was going to be long and painful.

* * *

Bloom was trying to contact her friends from her own world. She sat in the house they had been given, meditating. Bianca had gone to visit some of Xytackyl she knew, and Cecil was off meeting with Qyneckstyp looking at maps and such, leaving her all alone, with far too much time to think. So she tried to get through to her sister Daphne. So far she was having no luck. The only places she'd ever contacted Daphne were Earth, Domino, and Magix. She didn't even know if Daphne could contact her somewhere else. Still, she had to keep trying.

* * *

Eragon had finished his work, and now stood in armor similar to what he had worn in his own world. Bianca had been telling the truth, the Xytackyl were incredible craftsman, rivaling the dwarves. He then went looking for a shield. He found a round shield that was the right size for him, but there was something odd about it. It was made of metal, but it was far lighter than it should be.

"It's Prytel." Eragon jumped, not realizing Bianca was behind him.

"Prytel?"

"It roughly translates as "Heart Steel" but it loses quite a bit in the translation. The Xytackyl believe Prytel comes from the heart of their world. It's stronger than normal steel, but much lighter. It's very rare, so most of the Xytackyl weapons and armor are made from normal steel, but the best is made from Prytel."

"That makes sense. My sword is made from a metal called Brightsteel, which came from a falling star. All riders' swords were made of the same metal. This metal is what makes Brisingr-" Eragon cut off as his sword caught fire. Bianca giggled as he extinguished it with a great deal of swearing in the process.

* * *

Lok was discovering new parts of his body. He hurt in places he didn't know existed. He and Link had sparred for hours, and Link's method of teaching seemed to be to beat his student until his student could beat him back. So far Lok wasn't having much luck. Worse, a crowd had gathered, so now he was being watched as he was pummeled by Link.

Lok rose to his feet yet again. Link seemed fresh as a daisy, while Lok could barely muster the strength to lift his sword. The fight was over quickly. Lok rose again. "Everfight!" he whispered. A faint glow surrounded him and he could feel his injuries disappearing. Fresh and rejuvenated, he charged back into the fight.

Several hours later and Link was standing over Lok again. He sheathed his sword and extended his hand to Lok. "Better," he said, smiling.

Lok felt like he would burst with pride from that one compliment.

* * *

Katsa returned to Racteyal's forge. She had found a bow that would work for her, and had taken the opportunity to practice her archery. Now, with the sun sinking towards the horizon, she came for her sword.

Racteyal was waiting. Propped against the wall of his forge was a gleaming sword and a sheath of darkest black. She picked it up. It was exactly the right length for her, with razor sharp edges. She stepped out into a courtyard to test the new weapon. The balance was perfect, the handle matching her grip flawlessly. She did notice something about it though. It was a great deal lighter than she had expected. When she commented on this Racteyal said, "Well of course it is, it's made of Prytel. I would use nothing less for my greatest work."

"Prytel?"

Racteyal explained. "Prytel is a sacred metal from the heart of the world."

Katsa decided not to ask him any more. He was starting to look at her oddly. Perhaps Bianca would know more.

* * *

When Eragon returned to their house he found Bloom meditating. He thought back to the long hours he had spent in Ellesmera under Oromis's tutelage.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. I'm just trying to get in contact with the people from my own world. They must be out of their minds with worry."

"I wonder how Saphira is faring?" He muttered.

"Who is Saphira?"

"My dragon. We share a mental link which allows us to sense each other, no matter how far apart we are. I can sense her, so I know she's still alive, but that's all I can do."

Bloom's eyes widened. "If you can sense her, maybe I can use my magic to let you contact her!"

"How? I've tried scrying her, but I can't seem to make it work. Something is blocking me."

"Perhaps it's Daiertan, trying to keep us from reaching people who might be able to help us."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"If we can't break through separately, perhaps we can do so together."

"It's worth a try."

Eragon focused on his link to Saphira while Bloom began a spell. After what felt like years Eragon felt Saphira's mind. _Saphira!_

_Eragon! Where are you?_

_I don't know exactly. I'm in another world, with six others and we're trying to stop an evil man named Daiertan._

_What?_

"I can't hold the spell much longer!" Said Bloom, her voice strained.

_We don't have much time. How long has it been since I disappeared?_

_Only a few hours. I've been looking all over for you!_

_I'll come back to you Saphira. For now I have to help these people._

_...I know. But promise you'll come back safe!_

"I'm losing the spell!"

_I have to go now Saphira. I promise you, I will return._

_Good. And when you do I will pin you to my back and never let you go._

_I love you too._

Bloom slumped, exhausted from maintaining the spell.

"Thank you Bloom. You made it possible for me to speak to her again. I am in your debt."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad I could help."

* * *

Night began to fall and the seven began to come back to the house. Bianca arrived shortly after Katsa, who began interrogating her about Xytackyl metalwork and culture. Link came back with Lok slung over his shoulder. Eragon and Bloom stared at the boy who was so badly bruised he was nearly unrecognizable. Despite his obvious pain, there was a huge grin on Lok's face. No one asked what had happened.

Cecil was the last to return. In his hands he held several pieces of paper. He laid them out on the table in the middle of the common room of the house. "We found one of Daiertan's mines. We can move tomorrow. For now we need rest," he glanced at Lok, "some of us more than others." With that they all went to their rooms to sleep. They would need all their strength for the day ahead.

**A/N: Eragon's only been gone a few hours? What gives? He's been here at least a day or two! What's going on? And, what will happen at the mine? Can they really take down an army of deadly robot ninjas? I really need to stop asking questions I already know the answers to. Probably a sign of insanity.**

**Everyone I know: It to-**

**Me: No comments from you! You already invaded one of my A/Ns! I thought I told you to stay out of them! If you come in here again I'll set the ninjas on you, and it will not be pretty. Now get out of here.**

**Why do people keep coming into my A/Ns uninvited? Whatever. Well, that's it for now. See you next chapter!**


	9. Enter the Dragon

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon, Saphira, Bloom, Bianca, Cecil, Katsa, Lok, Link, The Razac, Icy, Azula, Saphira, or the man in the black armor from the first chapter. I do own everything else though. So yeah. I'm getting tired of writing these things. Let's get on with the story.**

"This is the sixth dead end you've lead us to. Do you even know what you're doing?" Katsa was not happy with the current situation. Traveling through the cramped tunnels of the Xytackyl was bad enough, but when you added in the fact that the only light was coming from Eragon's magic werelight, and that someone had let Lok have the map, the experience went from unpleasant to downright aggravating.

"I'm doing the best I can. It doesn't help that these tunnels exist in three dimensions. For all I know this map is for a tunnel twenty feet below us."

"Easy you two," Cecil said, trying to nip the impending fight in the bud, "let's just focus on getting to the mine."

They were on their way to on of Daiertan's mines in the hope that from there they could find the factory where he built his army of robots. At first it seemed simple, follow the map, sneak in, follow the metal shipments, sneak into the factory, destroy everything in sight. Simple. Unfortunately, they were lost.

"All right, I think this is the way." Lok turned into a tunnel that sloped upwards.

"It better be," grumbled Katsa.

* * *

The tunnel opened up on the side of a cliff. "I think we've reached our destination." Cecil consulted one of the other maps. "The mine should be about a mile south of here. Remember, we don't want to draw any attention to ourselves. Let's go."

The team descended the cliff, then began marching. Katsa was glad to be out of those tunnels. Who had put Lok in charge of the map anyways? The kid had no sense of direction! At least they were getting close.

The mine was nothing more than a hole in the side of a mountain. At times various creatures would go in or out of the mine while the robotic ninjas stood guard. Some of the miners were Xytackyl, but other races were also represented. All of them were clearly slaves.

Eragon bristled. He had encountered the horrors of slavery before and it was all he could do not to blow the whole mission by charging in to free them.

The team crept down towards a warehouse near the mine entrance. Inside they found a number of mine carts filled with ore. "Let's move. We can't let ourselves be seen!" A slight hint of fear colored Bianca's voice. They each moved to one of the carts, wedging themselves in a small space under the cart. They didn't have to wait long.

The carts were dragged into a line, hooked together, then attached to a small train engine. Without warning the train started off down the track. Soon it was barreling along at terrifying speeds, winding its way through valleys and over hills.

After hours in the cramped space beneath the carts, Eragon finally felt the train begin to slow. _We're here. Get ready._ he said with his mind. The train came to a stop inside a small building. The team climbed out from under the carts. They gathered in a dim corner of the building.

"This isn't the factory." Bianca looked crestfallen.

"It's where the metal goes. If this isn't the factory, then at the very least it's important." Cecil was perplexed. The factory should be here.

Eragon was busy muttering. "Quiet!" hissed Katsa. Suddenly his murmur came to a halt.

"This _is_ the factory. There's a huge empty space below us."

"Well how do we get there?" Lok was hoping it would be easier than traveling through the tunnels had been.

"Um, maybe we should try that set of stairs over there?" Bloom pointed. Sure enough, a metal staircase descended into the floor.

"I don't like it. It feels like a trap." Katsa was not at home among all these machines. She would be glad to get back to her own world where there was no magic and no machines.

"It's the only way down. Let's go." Cecil took the lead. The stairs seemed to go on forever. Lok tried counting the steps, but quickly gave up. Instead he went back to the puzzle ring Eragon had given him. Not many puzzles had beaten him for so long, and he was starting to get annoyed. How could eight little metal bands stymie him? He was going to solve this puzzle if it was the last thing he did.

Almost without realizing it they reached the bottom. Opening the door in the wall, they stepped out. They stood in a room so big Saphira could have flown inside without any difficulty. They saw numerous conveyor belts, all carrying pieces of the robot ninjas. Some living creatures scurried from place to place, but mostly the building was dominated by machines. On their left they saw a battalion of the robotic warriors, but they didn't seem to be active. On their right stood a small building from which cables ran everywhere.

"That must be the control center for the factory!" Cecil started moving towards it.

"Wait!" Katsa said, "It could be-" Cecil stepped on a tile that sank under his weight. Alarms began to wail and lights began flashing. "-a trap." Katsa finished lamely.

They turned and saw the robot ninjas they had seen earlier had activated.

"So, anyone have any ideas?" Bianca looked at her friends.

"Just one: Attack!"

And with that Cecil charged into battle, sword drawn and shield at the ready. Link, Katsa, and Eragon followed.

"Magic Winx: Believix!" Bloom transformed into a fairy with glittering wings. She flew into the air and began shooting balls of fire at the army.

"Bladecall!" The Willblade apeared in Lok's hand. With his other hand he pulled out several Amulets. "Kipperin! Baselaird! Lindorm!" Clad in green battle armor, he flew on borrowed wings. Below him his Titans charged to join his friends.

"Serve me." Lok and Bloom glanced over at Bianca, then did a double take. Standing before her were five skeletons armed with swords. They too charged to meet the oncoming metal army. The two sides met with a resounding crash that echoed in the cavernous factory.

Bloom and Lok provided support from above, using their powers to great effect.

"Fire Arrow!"

"Touchram!"

They were making quite a dent in the oncoming force.

Bianca meanwhile was firing arrows into the enemy. But she wasn't using normal arrows. The arrowheads were coated with Greek Fire, exploding on impact with the enemy, then burning a hellish green color.

The other four met the enemy head on. Eragon and Katsa whirled through the enemy's ranks like dervishes, their blades slicing through the machines with ease. Cecil and Link fought side by side, Link's left handed swordplay covering Cecil's off side. Baselaird waded in tossing aside enemies and destroying them. Lindorm spun through like a berserk buzzsaw, bowling down the mechanical ninjas. Bianca's skeletons fought well, although the fact that they couldn't be killed by normal means probably had something to do with it.

For a moment the army faltered, crumbling under the assault. But then they rallied. A cloud of throwing star filled the air, forcing Bloom to hide behind her shield. Kipperin was shredded by the sheer number of blades in the air, and Lok fell to the ground. The ninjas surrounded Baselaird, slashing at him until he too was returned to his amulet. Lindorm was brought down by yet more ninjas, as the skeletons were crushed into a powder beneath a the fists of their foes. Cecil and Link were back to back, struggling to stay alive. Eragon and Katsa fought their way over to join them, and the four deadly warriors were forced to defend themselves.

Eragon's mind raced. He couldn't think of a spell that would work against these things. He didn't know what it took to kill one. His magic was useless.

Katsa had always been the most dangerous person in her world. Here, she was trapped with magic and machines, unable to use or defeat either. She felt useless.

Cecil fought with desperate courage. His dedication had always seen him through before, but this time it wasn't enough. All of his skill with spell and sword, and he still couldn't save his friends.

Lok was out of his depth. Sure, he'd fought an army before, but that was with Dante's help, and it had been very poorly organized. Even so, they wouldn't have won without the Casterwills' assistance. His most powerful titans were gone, he was exhausted, and he had nothing left. He had failed.

Bloom didn't know what to do. She'd fought a robotic army before, but this was different. These robots were stronger, faster, and far more lethal than the ones she'd faced. She couldn't save her friends. Even with the Dragon Fire, she was powerless to help.

Bianca could do nothing. She had nearly died to save her friends in her own world, but even if she made the ultimate sacrifice now it still wouldn't be enough to save her new friends. Some hero she turned out to be.

Even Link felt the sense of helplessness. You could see it in the way his shoulders slumped, his back stooped, and his eyes were dull. He fought on, but weariness pulled at him.

They fell back, and they gathered together. Bianca was in the middle of Lok, Cecil, Katsa, Link and Eragon while Bloom hovered over them.

"We're losing." Said Katsa.

"We have to keep fighting!" Cecil yelled.

"We can't do this!" Lok wailed.

"We have to try!" Bloom shouted down from above.

"There's too many of them!" Bianca cried.

"We have to win. I have a promise to keep." Eragon said.

* * *

Saphira flew towards the Varden. She should be there in another day or so. Suddenly she felt a surge of terror take her. Eragon was in danger! She had to help him! Something rose within her, a power she could not control, and she roared her fury to the world. Before her a hole appeared in the sky. On the other side was Eragon, fighting for his life! She flew through the opening and it closed behind her.

* * *

Eragon glanced up. This was impossible. She could not be here. It couldn't be her. Then he felt her mind. His heart soared.

_Saphira!_

_Eragon!_

_How did you get here?_

_I sensed you were in danger. My magic brought me here._

_I can't tell you how happy I am to see you! _

_We can talk later. For now, I have to teach our foes why they should fear me._

"What is that?" Lok cried out in alarm.

"It's Saphira! She's here to help! Now, let's take these ninjas down!"

A cheer went up from the group. Having a dragon arrive to save the day tends to have a positive impact on morale. Suddenly it was the robots on the defensive as the heroes struck back. Lok felt a rush of energy go through him. He lifted the Willblade over his head.

"Awaken, Legendary Titan of Champions: Pendragon!"

Saphira was joined by a massive white dragon. The two dragons swept the enemy aside like so many dead leaves. Soon the only thing left was a pile of scrap.

Eragon rushed over to Saphira, flinging himself at her neck.

_I am so glad you're here. _

_If you ever do this to me again I will drop you into the Anora river._

_I'm sorry. This wasn't my idea._

_I know. But you could use a bath!_

The other six gathered around.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my dragon Saphira."

"Greetings Saphira. My name is Cecil."

"My name is Katsa."

"I'm Lok."

"My name's Bloom."

"I'm Bianca."

"And that's Link. He doesn't say much." Eragon looked up at Saphira, then back at his friends. "We should probably get back to our mission. We need to shut down this factory."

The job was much easier than they had expected. Very few things can rival a dragon for sheer destructive strength. In no time at all the factory was a complete wreck. Smashed machines littered the room. In places there was nothing but a puddle of molten metal where Saphira's fire had been. Fortunately there was a large freight entrance through which Saphira could fit, and as they left the building Saphira melted both the staircase and the freight entrance. Then she destroyed the building. Daiertan would get no more use out of this factory. As they started their way back to Raddinesta, Saphira and Eragon flew overhead. Dragon and Rider were together again, united in the sky.

**A/N: Aw, isn't that sweet. There's nothing like a boy and his multiple ton flying fire-breathing lizard. All right, enough mushiness. So, they've struck the first blow against Daiertan! But the war is far from over. Our heroes have a dragon now, but Daiertan still has tricks up his sleeve. So, where will they strike next? Or will Daiertan move before they can? I really need to stop asking questions I know the answers to. For everyone I've annoyed by doing this, I will now punish myself, Dobby style. *THUMP* OW! Okay, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Oh, by the way, I will not be doing a biography for Saphira. She's only about two and a half years old, and a lot of that was spent in exactly the same places as Eragon. Well, that's all for now. See you next chapter.**


	10. In a Darkened Mirror

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon, Saphira, Bloom, Bianca, Cecil, Katsa, Lok, Link, The Razac, Icy, Azula, or the man in the black armor. **

**Hey everyone, welcome back. I have big plans for you with this chapter, after all it is chapter ten. Double digits! There will be action! There will be drama! There will be emotion! AND, the moment you've all been waiting for, the identity of the man in the black armor will be revealed! So hang on tight, this one is going to be huge.**

Night was falling as the team made its way back towards the mine. It had taken them three days to travel the distance the train had taken mere hours to cover. Over this period the group had slowly adjusted to Saphira, at least, as much as you can adjust to a giant mythical beast. What surprised everyone was that Saphira and Katsa hit it off so well, and during their trek they had become close friends.

"Saphira?"

_Yes Katsa?_

"I was wondering, since you can use your mind to speak, can you also use it to fight?"

_Yes, although not everyone has the ability to reach beyond their own mind. However, everyone can be trained to defend their own mind._

"How?"

_Simply hold one thought in your mind, and your enemy will find nothing but that one thought, and will be unable to seize your mind._

"Can you teach me?"

_Of course._

Soon everyone was training their minds with Saphira and Katsa. Everyone except Link, who had the strongest mental barriers Eragon and Saphira had ever seen. Katsa and Cecil were unable to extend their reach beyond their own minds, but Bloom and Bianca could project their thoughts. Lok however, took to it like a fish to water. His defenses were the weakest out of all of them, but he excelled at finding the weak points in another person's mental armor, thanks to his talent for solving puzzles. Link was an unknown. No one could enter his mind and nothing came out of it. This puzzled Eragon, but it wasn't surprising, coming from Link.

The group continued on.

* * *

When they came to the mine they found it abandoned. The slaves were gone, the guards were gone, even most of the equipment was gone. Eragon had planned to free the slaves, but now there was no one there to free. But now they had a problem. The tunnels were much too small for Saphira to fit through, and Saphira wasn't big enough to carry seven people.

"I hate to say it, but I think we have to split up. I'm not going to leave Saphira. We'll fly to Raddinesta and meet you there."

"You shouldn't go alone. Lok and Bloom can both fly. They should go with you, in case there's any trouble." Cecil's logic was irrefutable, and soon the group was divided.

"We'll see you at Raddinesta!" Bloom waved down at the others.

Cecil, Katsa, Link, and Bianca returned to the tunnels, making their way back to the village, while Eragon, Saphira, Bloom, and Lok, carried by Kipperin, flew over the mountains to reach the home of the Xytackyl.

* * *

Cecil and his three friends emerged from the tunnels to a scene of destruction. Half of Raddinesta was gone, and what was left was badly damaged. He looked to his left where Saphira had just landed with an earth shaking thud. The seven stood together, staring at the ruins of the Xytackyl town.

"What- what happened here?" Asked Lok in a stunned voice. He had never seen this sort of destruction before.

"I don't know," said Eragon, "but I intend to find out."

"What should we do? Cecil? Cecil!" Bianca looked at Cecil. His eyes were glazed, and it was obvious he was trapped in some horrible memory.

"We need to get down there and see if there are any survivors," Bloom took charge, "We need to help these people, we owe it to them."

The group descended into the burned out village. Bodies lay everywhere, scattered across the village. Some were Xytackyl, but others were machines. Some however, were reptilian.

"Tiernoks." Bianca said. "They're Daiertan's allies. They're deadly in combat, and very hard to kill. They have three hearts, and even cutting off their head doesn't kill them, because they have two brains. They have razor sharp claws as long as your finger, and their skin is thick enough to serve as armor."

Bloom glanced around. "I don't see any Xytackyl."

"I can sense them. They're underground." Eragon said.

"We need to see what happened here. Winx: Tracix!" Bloom's wings changed shape and suddenly they were peering into the past.

A man in black armor stood at the head of an army of the ninja robots and Tiernoks. Before him lay Raddinesta. Bells were ringing and Xytackyl warriors were assembling to meet the oncoming assault. Arrows began to fly, and catapults in Raddinesta launched boulders at Daiertan's forces. But it wasn't enough. The army swept into the city, killing dozens of Xytackyl. Katsa watched in horror as Racteyal, fighting with four hammers, was cut down by a robotic ninja. Daiertan's forces were winning. In the midst of the chaos they saw Qyneckstyp face off with the man in black. His twin swords flashing, he and the mysterious figure battled back and forth, each struggling to gain the upper hand. Suddenly the man in black struck at Qyneckstyp harder than any human should have been able to. His sword sheered through Qyneckstyp's shields, destroying them. Now Qyneckstyp was struggling to stay alive. Finally, in a last desperate bid, he tackled the man in black. The two rolled on the ground, but Qyneckstyp's extra arms allowed him to subdue his enemy. With his other hands he reached up and pulled off the man's helm.

"Cecil?" Qyneckstyp was stunned, and that brief hesitation would cost him his life.

The Cecil in the picture pulled a dagger from his belt and stabbed the Xytackyl in the side. Qyneckstyp convulsed once and then lay still. All around them the battle was winding down. The surviving Xytackyl had retreated underground where Daiertan's army dared not follow, and now they set fire to the buildings of Raddinesta.

Bloom ended her spell, and they were back in the present. Everyone turned to Cecil, who was on his knees, tears in his eyes and a look of horror on his face.

"That can't have been you!" Lok cried.

"But it was." Cecil's voice was a whisper, filled with pain and regret.

"How? You were with us the whole time!" Bianca shouted.

"That man is you?" Katsa looked like someone who had just discovered she was standing next to a cobra.

"Impossible." Declared Eragon.

"Cecil," Bloom's gentle voice pierced the air. "Please, tell us what this means. We know you didn't do this, so who did? Please, we're your friends."

"You don't understand Bloom. That _was_ me. That man is who I used to be. Before I became a paladin I was a dark knight. I did horrible things, all because my king ordered me to. I stole from people, I destroyed an entire village, I killed a girl's mother. That is who I used to be."

"But you became a paladin. You did your best to set things right." Bloom tried to comfort him.

"Did I? I faced my dark side in a duel, and destroyed him. Was that right? I never truly atoned for my actions. I simply destroyed the part of me that had committed them. I've done my best to make up for my actions, but nothing can wash away the blood that stains my hands. Everything I've done since then, everything I've fought against, all of it was because of my mistakes. If I hadn't done those things so many lives would never have been lost. Everything has been my fault."

"No, it hasn't. You've done your best to make up for what happened, and that's what's important."

"Wait. You said you destroyed your dark side." Bianca had a worried look on her face. "If you destroyed him then how is he here?"

Suddenly a sound like a thunder clap split the air. A vortex appeared in front of them and out stepped the dark knight.

"You!" He shouted, pointing at the kneeling paladin. "You tried to destroy me! You cast me aside without a second thought, then tried to destroy the memory of me! I was stronger, faster, better than you, and yet you turned away from me for that sword of light! You betrayed me!"

Cecil could do nothing. He could not even find it in himself to draw his sword.

"I challenge you! Duel me! This time I will defeat you! What's the matter? Can't you even draw your sword?"

"...I won't."

"What?"

"I won't fight you. It didn't solve anything last time and it won't solve anything now."

"You will fight me or I will kill your friends!"

"You won't. Not even you would ever do that."

"Yes I would!"

"No, you wouldn't. I know you. I know what you can and cannot do. And I know that you don't have it in you to do this."

The dark knight hesitated. The paladin rose to his feet.

"You won't do it. I know how much your actions haunt you. You are me. I know everything about you. I know how much you struggle with yourself. You won't do it. You can't."

"I am not you! I used to be, but then you threw me away like a broken blade! You know nothing about me!"

"You know that's not true. We are still the same person. And you're right. I did turn my back on you. And I'm sorry. I can't change the past, but we don't have to let it rule us. Turn away from Daiertan's evil. Embrace the good I know is in your heart."

"...If there was any good in my heart it was snuffed out when you and I parted. I am the darkness you cast aside. There is no light in me."

"In every darkness there is a light, and in every light there is a darkness. I am not purely light, just as you are not purely dark. There is still good in you. Never forget that."

"...We will meet again. Next time, I will destroy you." With that he stepped back into the vortex which closed behind him.

Cecil stood up straight, determination glowing in his eyes. "Let's go. We have to keep fighting until Daiertan is stopped and this world is safe once more."

**A/N: I think I'm seeing double! Can Cecil face his own dark self? What happens if he does? Do our heroes even stand a chance against Daiertan's forces? They struck a blow against him, but he hit back just as hard. What can they do now? Will they ever get back home? **

***smack***

_**OW! Hey what was that for?**_

_**You were doing it again.**_

_**What? I'm allowed to ask questions!**_

_**Stop asking questions you already know the answers to. It's annoying.**_

_**You want to do my job? Then sit down and shut up.**_

**Sorry folks, just had to resolve that argument with myself. Anyways, sorry this took so long to write. My new job is eating up a lot of my time, and when you add in college applications and visits I have practically no free time. Sooo, yeah. See you next time.**


	11. Sorrow and Sand

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloom, Lok, Bianca, Cecil, Katsa, Link, Eragon, Saphira, The Razac, Azula, or Icy. Yay.**

**Hi guys. This one's kind of short. Sorry about that.**

Eragon stood in the ruins of Raddinesta. He was at a loss for what they should do next. All his life he had relied on someone else to support him, but now the people who had supported him and his friends were gone. The survivors had fled below the surface, and they were too few to provide much help.

_Little one. _

_Yes Saphira?_

_We must avenge these people. Daiertan must pay for this crime._

_I know, but we'll need allies. We may be powerful, and our friends are strong, but we can't defeat an army without help._

_Ask Bianca. She may know if there are others who still fight against Daiertan and his tyranny. _

"Bianca?"

"What?" Tears were streaming down her face as she knelt beside Qyneckstyp's body.

"Does anyone else still fight against Daiertan? We're going to need help to defeat him."

"I don't know. I never saw anyone else."

"Eragon, that may not be such a good idea." Cecil cautioned, "Our presence brought Daiertan's army down upon the Xytackyl. It wouldn't be right to put anyone else in danger."

"We can't win without help." Bloom said.

"...I know. I just don't want to hurt anyone else."

Bianca stood. A fierce light burned in her eyes. "The Xytackyl knew the risks. We can't stop know, not after so many have given their lives to stop Daiertan. We owe it to them to finish this war. And we owe it to the ones who survived."

"So what should we do now?" Lok asked.

"We need to leave here. Our presence puts the survivors in more danger." Cecil was once again the solid and dependable leader they needed. "Bianca, do you know anything, anything at all, that might tell us what to look for?"

"Well, there are some stories of the Avren, the Bird-People. They fought against Daiertan, but were defeated. Maybe some survived. They were powerful warriors, both on land and in the sky. Supposedly they lived on the mesas of the Servi Desert, about a hundred miles south of here."

"Then that's where we need to go."

"We should avoid teleporting." Observed Bloom. "If Daiertan can use, or even just sense magic then teleporting would let him know exactly where we are and where we're going."

"Good thinking."

"Then we have a problem. The Servi Desert is extremely dangerous." Bianca had a troubled expression on her face. "There are massive sandstorms that can rage for months, poisonous animals and even more toxic plants, and especially the Vervat."

"Who are the Vervat?" Lok wondered.

"One of the Tiernok tribes. The only one that hasn't allied itself with Daiertan."

"That's good then, right?"

"No. The only reason they haven't joined Daiertan is because they are so violent and bloodthirsty that even he won't go anywhere near them."

"...Perhaps they're not quite as bad as you think." Eragon ventured, remembering his experiences with urgals in his own world.

"You'll find out soon enough..." She muttered darkly.

"Enough talking! If we're going to find these Avren we should get moving." Katsa started walking.

* * *

Katsa had never been in a desert before. She was a child of the rolling hills of the Middluns, and, while she had survived the mountains of Monsea, she had never even seen a desert before. It was rather underwhelming. Nothing but sand, sand, and more sand, stretching from horizon to horizon. There was no color. There were no landmarks. There was nothing to indicate that the desert would ever end. During the day they were baked by the sun, its merciless rays stealing the water from the land. At night the heat fled, leaving the companions shivering in the moonlight.

"How much further do you think the mesas are, Bianca?" Bloom asked. Three days had passed since they entered the desert.

"Probably another two days at this rate, but I can't be certain. I've never seen them before."

Lovely. Even their guide didn't know where she was going. They struggled on.

* * *

The group sat around a fire as the sun set on their fourth day in the desert.

Bloom spoke up. "What do we plan to do when we find the Avren?"

"We need to assemble an alliance to stand against Daiertan." Eragon said.

"An alliance? Of who? The Xytackyl can't fight, they were all but annihilated! And we don't even know if these Avren still exist!" The desert had worn away Katsa's patience.

"There must be others out there who still oppose Daiertan. If nothing else we can always set about liberating his slaves."

"Us and what army? There's only seven of us! In my own world I might be able to do it, but here everything is so powerful that we can't win. In our own worlds we're among the most powerful people around. My Grace is among the greatest in existence, but here I can barely hold my own! If Bianca hadn't arrived when she did that machine would have killed me! Daiertan has thousands of them, and even more dangerous soldiers at his disposal! How can we win?" Her voice had risen to a shout.

"One step at a time. When I rebelled against my king it was just myself and my friend Kain against the mightiest army in the world. But we survived, and before I was stolen from my home we were on the verge of total victory. We can't lose hope."

"Cecil is right. I was just a farm boy when Saphira hatched for me. Since then I've done things I never could have dreamed of. Nothing is impossible."

_Indeed, you are much more than the boy who I hatched for in the Spine._

"Ambush." Link said. And the conversation ended as figures erupted from the sand all around the campsite.

* * *

"Vervat!" Bianca yelled. Thirty of the creatures rose from the sand, surrounding the travelers. Immediately they all sprang to their feet. Bloom transformed and Lok summoned his sword, while the others drew their own weapons. Saphira roared, painting the sky with fire.

They were stunned when every Vervat fell to one knee, bowing to them.

"What are they doing?" Lok whispered to Eragon.

"I don't know."

The leader of the band of Tiernoks rose to his feet. "Great Goddesssss," He hissed, "how may we ssserve you?"

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks. Except for Eragon. He looked completely poleaxed. "You think Saphira is your goddess?"

"Her name is Sssaphira?" The lizard man asked.

_Yes, my name is Saphira. This is my Rider, Eragon._

"Great Queen Sssaphira, we are your humble sssservantssss. We have awaited thissss day, when the Godssss would return to ussss, bringing our ssssalvation!"

_Well, they seem rather nice._

_That is because you love being flattered._

_I do not!_

"Lady Sssaphira, what would you have usss do?"

"We are fighting against Daiertan and his forces. We came to the desert seeking allies. Will you join our cause?" Cecil asked.

"If the Goddessss sssso wishesss, we will fight with you."

_Join us. Help us defeat this man who seeks to rule your world._

"The Goddessss has commanded usss, and we ssshall obey!"

A cheer went up from the assembled warriors.

"We will gather our warriorsss. When the battle comesss, call for usss and we will be there." With that they disappeared back beneath the sand.

"Well that was unexpected." Cecil remarked in a tone drier than the Servi.

"I think that's enough excitement for one day." Bloom said, slightly shaken. "Let's get some rest."

With that they turned in for the night.

**A/N: So they have new allies now. Yeah, I'm not particularly happy with this chapter. Very boring. But the next one should be more interesting. See you there.**


	12. The City in the Clouds

**Disclaimer: You know the drill, and I'm really getting tired of writing these, so let's just get on with the story, because I've already explained that I don't own various characters.**

**Sorry this took so long. My life has been hectic lately, particularly at work. Grocery store cashier plus Thanksgiving means no free time or spare energy. Now that Thanksgiving is over I can start updating more frequently, at least until Christmas rolls around. So! On with the story!**

_That could have gone better. _Eragon said to Saphira.

_Think of how the Varden reacted when we arrived. This is no different._

* * *

She did have a point. The day after their encounter with the Vervat in the desert they finally came to the grand mesas of the Servi. The huge columns of rock rose hundreds of feet into the sky, but they were put to shame by the central pillar. The massive flat-topped mountain rose nearly a mile into the air, and was at least twelve miles across. Atop this monolith lived the Avren. Their city was beyond anything he had ever seen, full of graceful towers overlooking beautiful gardens, and beautiful amphitheaters constructed of glistening white marble. It was also all but empty. Less than ten thousand Avren lived in this masterpiece of architecture, most of them small children and their parents.

When they arrived at the base of cliff, they were met by thirty well armed guards, accompanied by five who carried no weapons. Eragon was fascinated by the avren. They had human bodies, but their faces were those of birds. The guards all had the deadly beak of a falcon, while the unarmed avren looked more like crows. The wings which sprouted from their backs came in numerous varieties as well. Most of the guards had white or brown wings, but the others had wings which were black as night.

Eragon extended his consciousness, only to discover that they all had strong mental blocks. Even more worrisome was the fact that he could sense faint traces of magic from the five crow avren. He was powerful, yes, but against five enemies he would be hard pressed.

"State your business, outsiders," the central crow demanded, his voice shrill and cracked. He seemed to be the leader of the group.

"We come seeking your aid in the struggle against Daiertan." Cecil said.

"The struggle is already lost!" The crow shrieked, "When he first rose we fought him! Now look at us! We numbered in the millions! Now we are nearly gone! You have come on a fool's errand!"

"Please, hear us out," Bianca put all of her pain and sadness for the loss of the Xytackyl into her voice, "we can defeat him if we work together. My friends and I are not of this world. Daiertan stole us from our worlds in an effort to tip the balance of those worlds towards chaos. We have to stop Daiertan, not just for the sake of this world, but also to protect all of the other worlds from his evil. You fought him before, but you fought him alone. We are trying to assemble an alliance to stand against Daiertan, and we need your support!"

"And just who do you think will join this alliance of yours?" The crow's voice was mocking. "No one can stand against him, and no one will!"

"You're wrong." Eragon said. "The Xytackyl were the first to help us, and they fought bravely. With their support and sacrifice we destroyed the source of Daiertan's machine soldiers."

Lok spoke up. "And the Vervat have also said they'll help us."

The avren screamed. "Vervat? Vervat? You cannot trust those violent beasts! They did nothing in the war against Daiertan, and their brethren fought for him!"

"But-" Eragon tried to explain.

"Silence! You are not trying to form an alliance! You are spies of Daiertan! Guards! Take them to the cells!"

Katsa bristled, but Link put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait."

They were surrounded by the birds, dragged through the air, except for Saphira who flew with a dozen Avren archers watching her, and deposited at the top of the cliff.

_Eragon! _Bloom's telepathy wasn't particularly disciplined yet, but it did get the job done. _I talked to Cecil and we thought it might be a good idea for me to transform. Then I'd look more like them, and maybe we'd have a better chance of convincing them._

_No. They would view it as a threat. I can tell they use a form of magic similar to mine, and when you transform your energy becomes much stronger. This would probably startle them into attacking, and we don't want that. For now we need to go along with them. We need their help and their trust, and we don't need more enemies. _

_...Alright. We'll wait._

_Don't worry, I've been in situations like this before._

* * *

Now they were in an underground cell block, with each of them in a different cell. Saphira was being held in one of the amphitheaters, her legs shackled and her wings bound with chains. Their weapons and armor had been confiscated, although Link still had his belt pouches. Eragon was pretty sure they hadn't been searched either, meaning Link was still carrying all of his tools.

Eragon tapped into Katsa's mind, and Bloom did the same for Cecil, and they held a council.

_What should we do now? _Cecil was clearly out of his element. Even the Mysidians hadn't imprisoned him.

_We need to wait. We have to earn their trust. _Eragon found himself stepping into the role of leader. Unlike the others, he had been here before, and knew how to handle it.

_How? _The fear in Lok's mind was overwhelming. In spite of everything he'd been through, he was still just fifteen. _They think we're spies!_

_Patience. We need to wait._

So they waited. Hours began to slip by.

* * *

Eragon awoke from his doze to the a loud clattering above them. It sounded like soldiers arming themselves for battle.

"Wake up!" He shouted to his companions. "We may be about to have company."

Sure enough, a falcon avren clattered down the stairs in his armor. He unlocked their cells. "Come with me." His shrill voice held an edge of barely contained fear.

The seven emerged from their prison to absolute pandemonium. Avren rushed around grabbing spears and bows, shrieking to each other and getting feathers everywhere.

"What's happening?" Cecil asked.

One panicked avren with the face of a goose ran up to him and grabbed him, and stared into Cecil's face, with a crazed look in his eyes. "They're coming! They're here! They're going to wipe us out! The Tanmits! We must flee!" Then he turned and ran into the crowd.

"Okay, what's a Tanmit?" Lok asked.

"The Tanmits are a nightmare made real," their guard said. "They are beasts from the darkness, and servants of Daiertan."

"The Tanmits are similar to centipedes," Bianca supplied, "But their legs are very long, with needle-like tips. They have between eighteen and thirty pairs of legs, spikes on their back which they can pull off and throw like spears, and large fangs which carry a very strong poison."

"How strong?" Katsa asked.

"Assuming you survive the bite, the poison will kill you in less than twelve hours. It's extremely painful, and it completely immobilizes you. It's the same poison the ninjas used."

"Quiet!" The falcon Avren hissed.

"Where are you taking us?" Katsa asked.

"The Queen wishes to speak with you."

"Indeed I do." Everyone turned to the source of that voice. Something about it commanded respect and attention. A woman with the face of an eagle stood before them. Her feathers were white with brown streaks running through them. Her wings spread from her back in a glorious display. "I am Queen Avellian."

"It is an honor to meet you, your Majesty." Cecil bowed deeply to the queen.

"My warriors have told me you wish for our help against Daiertan. I'm giving you a chance to prove you are what you say. The Tanmit army is strong enough to overwhelm Aerlin. We will fight to the end to protect our home, but we are too few to stop them."

"We will need our weapons and armor. Also, we are strong, but we can't fight an army on our own."

"We will fight as well, but you will be the first wave of our attack."

"Can the Tanmits even reach this city?" Lok asked.

"They will swarm up the cliffs without even slowing."

Then we'd best get ready for the attack." Eragon said.

* * *

Their weapons and armor returned, the companions set about planning for the attack. The Tanmits were still three days away, giving them time to prepare. The seven stood around a table staring at a map of Aerlin while Saphira looked on. Several avren soldiers stood nearby to keep watch on the companions.

"The cliffs won't stop them, but we can still make use of them." Eragon said. "If we place rocks at the top we can drop them onto the Tanmits as they climb towards us."

"If there are any trees around we can use them to make wooden stakes to place at the top." Cecil offered.

"I think we can do one better than that. I might be able to use magic to reshape the stone into spikes, although I don't have enough energy to do so before the army arrives."

"I can help you," Bianca said. "I can control stone somewhat."

"Good."

"I can set up some traps." Lok was eager to help.

"Alright, but take Bloom with you." Cecil commanded. "Katsa, Link, and I will help move the rocks into position."

_I can slow the enemy down_. Saphira stated.

_Be careful._

* * *

They each set about their tasks. Eragon and Bianca, along with help from the avren magicians, were able to reshape the rim of the mesa into a thicket of stone spikes, while boulders were moved to the edges of the cliffs. Lok and Bloom set about putting a wide and unusual array of traps in place at the bottom of the mesa, while Saphira joined a group of avren warriors sent to harass the oncoming army. Between their arrows and her ability to drop huge boulders and paint the ground with fire, they managed to buy an extra day, allowing the preparations to be completed.

Now the companions stood atop the cliff. In the distance they could make out the army, nearly thirty thousand strong. A hush hung in the air. This battle would be where the fate of the Avren was decided.

**A/N: Okay, cliff hanger, I know. In more ways than one. And I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to need at least a full chapter for the battle, and this one was about the right length already. Sooo, yeah. Sorry about the cliff hanger, but I promise it'll be worth it. **

**Oh, by the way, for anyone who wants to know, I do not have a deviantart profile, and there is no art for this story. I wish there was, but my art skills are...questionable...at best. So no art. Sorry guys. But, if you want to make some art to go with this story, I would love to see it. Maybe we can get this story an actual picture instead of just my avatar. So please, send me whatever you come up with, and maybe I'll use it for the title card. **

**That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and please, leave a review. Let me know what you think of the story so far, and what I can do to make it better. **

**(Yes! I made it through a whole A/N without asking myself any questions or arguing with myself!)**


	13. A Dance of Fire and Shadow

**Disclaimer: I don't own what I don't own. I've already explained this, and these things are really tedious to write, so if you want to know the specifics you can check out my earlier disclaimers.**

**Ah, it's good to be back. My life is back to normal now that Thanksgiving is over, although with Christmas coming up there's no guarantee how long that will last. Anyways, now I can get back to writing, so hopefully I can get new chapters out faster. In related news, Chapter Thirteen! My lucky number! Yay! Now, back to the story!**

"It is time for you to prove yourselves." Queen Avellian said. "Go and show me you are what you say."

The seven climbed onto Saphira. She couldn't fly carrying this many people, but she could still glide. She launched herself into the air and gently drifted to the land below. They dismounted and stood, facing the seemingly endless tide of enemies. Behind them the sun was setting, the light fading from the world. Cecil hoped this was not a sign of things to come.

They stood nearly half a mile from the base of the great mesa, while the swarm was another two miles away, but closing rapidly.

Lok swallowed nervously, fingering the amulet around his neck.

Katsa was struggling not to let her fear show. She had never fought an army before.

Link simply drew his sword and adjusted his stance, but even he was nervous. You could see it in his eyes.

Cecil stood silently, his cloak whipping about in the wind. If they failed here then this world would be lost.

Bianca silently prayed to Artemis for help, but this wasn't Artemis's world. No help would be coming.

Bloom gazed out at the army, lost in memory. She wished her friends from her own world were here.

Eragon was the calmest. He had fought armies before, and he had slain thousands. A terrible melancholy gripped him as he thought of the faces of the men and urgals he had killed, too numerous to count. He tightened his grip on his sword and prepared for the onslaught.

* * *

The army halted just out of bowshot. A sibilant voice floated across to the company. "Give usss the Rider."

Startled, everyone looked at Eragon.

"I am Eragon Bromson, Rider of the dragon Saphira, Argetlam, Shadeslayer, and Shur'tugal! Show yourself, so that I may know who you are!"

The scuttling ranks parted, and two figures walked out.

"Razac." Eragon's voice was flat and toneless, but full of menace.

"You are the one who will exterminate our race! You will pay with your life!"

"Yessss, we will feast upon your flesh, and gorge upon your bonesss!"

"If you wish to fight me, then fight me you shall. Just us. My allies and your army will both watch, but will not interfere. Let us decide this, here and now."

"What! Eragon you can't!" Shouted Katsa.

"Yes I can. I'm the only one who can." He said gently. "Cecil, make sure the others stay back. If I should lose, fall back to the city. Don't try to help me, just go."

"...I will. Good luck." The two clasped hands.

"Cecil! We can't let him do this!" Bianca cried.

"We have to. This is his fight. He has to do this himself."

* * *

Eragon was afraid, but he would not let that fear rule his actions. These creatures had to be defeated, and this was the best opportunity to do so. He had fought and killed two Razac before with nothing but a staff, although his cousin had helped. Now he had _Brisingr_ and the shield the Xytackyl had given him. He would end this threat once an for all.

_Eragon!_

_Saphira, I have to do this. I can't let you help me. _

_You aren't thinking clearly. Remember what Oromis taught you!_

_I am. I am putting my life at risk to eliminate two of our most dangerous foes. None of our friends can defeat these beasts, but this way I can do so without having to worry about an army at the same time._

_...Alright. I suppose you have to. But don't think I'll forget this!_

_I love you too._

"Razac! Let us begin!"

The two Razac both lifted bows from beneath their cloaks. They drew and fired the arrows as one. Fast as an elf, Eragon sliced the head off of one arrow while his shield stopped the other. The Razac simply placed their bows on the ground, as though some ritual had been completed, then drew their swords. The twin blades were black, but polished to a mirror finish, and Eragon saw himself reflected in their inky blackness.

The two charged.

Later, no one could say for sure just what happened, but they all agreed that none of them had seen swordsmanship of that caliber before. The Razac were fast, inhumanly fast, and there were two of them, but Eragon was faster. The creatures rained blows upon the Rider, but nothing touched him. He spun and danced, an ember in the wind, elusive, but deadly. His sword flashed, and a cut appeared on the taller creature's arm. Blueish-green blood oozed from the wound and the Razac screamed, forcing the others to cover their ears. Eragon, however, had clearly been expecting this and shoved his sword straight into the open beak of the creature, through the beast's skull, and out the back. It went limp on his blade, clearly dead. He drew his sword from the corpse and turned to face the other one.

The two fighters clashed, swords flashing as they twirled across the ground. Suddenly they disengaged and paused for a moment. The Razac's leg was coated in its strange hued blood, while Eragon's arm was painted red. They charged towards each other, each set on finishing the fight here and now. What happened next was so fast not even Katsa could tell what happened, but when the dust settled the Razac lay on the ground with Eragon's sword buried in its back.

"Waise heill." Eragon muttered, and the cut on his forearm closed. He pulled his sword from his dead enemy and rejoined his companions. "Now the real battle begins."

**A/N: Okay, that's twice in a row. And I'm sorry. But I felt like this needed to be its own chapter. Also, the main chapter was getting to big, so I had to break it up, and this just seemed like a good place to stop. Once again, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger. But that fight was awesome! I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you enjoy it too.**


	14. Battle for Aerlin Part 1, The Swarm

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloom, Lok, Bianca, Cecil, Katsa, Link, Eragon, Saphira, The Razac, Azula, or Icy. Of course, the Razac are now dead. Moving on.**

**All right, this is the first part of a multi-chapter battle. There will be blood. There will be death. There will be violence. You have been warned. Everyone still with me? Good. Let's dive right in.**

Seven humans and one dragon faced down an army thirty thousand strong. Then a strange clicking roar went up from the army, and it began to advance.

Katsa, Link, Eragon, Bianca, and Cecil began firing arrows from their bows. Bloom launched herself into the sky, where she was joined by Lok, who had summoned Kipperin.

"Fire Arrow!"

"Ray Pulse!"

Attacks flew from their outstretched hands. The front line stalled for a moment, but then it regained momentum, scurrying over the bodies of their fallen comrades. Dozens fell, but thousands waited to take their place.

"Hand to hand!" Yelled Cecil. They immediately put their bows away and drew their blades. Cecil's gleaming sword and brilliant shield blazed in the fading light. Link's sword was glowing blue, as if in defiance of the oncoming army. Katsa drew the sword the Xytacyl had made for her. She would avenge them. Eragon held _Brisingr_ at the ready. He had defeated the Razac. He was not going to be slain by these creatures.

"Serve me," Bianca intoned, and five skeletons clawed their way out of the dirt. Swords and armor appeared in their hands, their fingers clicking against each other as they gripped their weapons.

Not to be outdone, Lok called out "Baselaird, Lindorm, Dendras, Hoplite, Iron Squire!" And the Titans began to appear. A golden warrior of massive size stood next to a two-tailed dragon. A faceless creature swung two dragon shaped marionettes about on puppet strings, shooting fire from the red one and ice from the blue one. A creature with the upper body of a man but the body of a lion in place of its legs drew its sword. Beneath its helmet glowed eyes of fire. Beside it stood a golden mechanical soldier with a gigantic shield. "Attack!" Lok yelled.

Bloom hovered over the army, continuing to throw attacks, but she was slowing down. Fire began spiraling up from her feet surrounding her in a tornado of flame.

Saphira roared, her massive fangs and even larger claws striking fear into the hearts of the enemy.

The battle began.

* * *

Time no longer held meaning for Katsa. There was only the battle. How many had she slain? She would never know. At times she saw the others. At one point she fought back to back with Link, taking on all comers, but then the tide of battle swept them apart. Then it was Cecil she stood by, adding to the growing pile of corpses at their feet. Then she fought by Eragon, who used sword and spell alike to destroy their foes. She glanced up and saw Bloom and Lok continuing their assault on the army, dodging the innumerable spikes the beasts threw at them. Bianca sliced into the creatures, a silver knife in each hand, while Saphira crushed all in her path.

But it wasn't enough. They were killing hundreds, but thousands remained. They were tiring, and soon they would start to make mistakes, and in this world one mistake is all you get. She fought her way over to Cecil.

"We can't keep this up. We have to get out of here."

"You're right. Bloom! We need an opening!"

A pillar of fire crashed down onto the shelled army, clearing a space around the battered companions. Bloom then fell from the sky, her magic totally depleted. Lok caught her, and the companions regrouped. Cecil began to chant. Just before the scuttling creatures could reach them, Cecil shouted, "Teleport!" and they vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

They reappeared at the top of the cliff. Cecil's eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed. Teleporting himself, six other people, and a dragon had taken every last ounce of his power. Eragon quickly moved to check on both Bloom and Cecil. Katsa looked around. The avren were gathered, and looking at them in awe.

"It seems you truly are what you say," Queen Avellian said, "welcome to the army of Aerlin."

"The army?" Lok asked.

"Yes. You are now The Company of the Dragon."

**A/N: I know this is short, but think of it as a mini chapter. I decided to split the battle into much smaller chapters than I usually do, because, let's face it, no matter how awesome the descriptions are, it gets kind of repetitive after a while to read. Also, not much really happens in terms of character development. I like battles (I'm a teenage male, what did you expect?) but they pretty much put the story on hold. Unless you make them really melodramatic, and I do not want to write melodrama, there's already too much of it on the site. So yeah, short chapter. But look on the bright side, short chapters means shorter update time! See you next chapter!**


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